Like many established institutions today, foundations are subject to a heightened demand for greater transparency and accountability.  Participatory grantmaking can be a vital practice for building trust and enhancing relationships between organized philanthropy and the communities they seek to serve. PACE co-hosted this event with GrantCraft and Philanthropy New York to help funders better understand participatory grantmaking by providing resources, hearing from experts on the topic, and highlighting examples that illuminate the benefits and challenges of this approach.

In this webinar, we heard from practitioners who have practiced participatory grantmaking at the local and national levels. Speakers discussed the impact of participatory grantmaking through first-hand stories and described the challenges and successes to the approach. Participants were invited to share their own experiences with participatory grantmaking and asked the speakers and fellow participants questions on this practice.

Speakers:

• Noorain Khan, Ford Foundation
• Cindy Gibson, Consultant to Ford Foundation
• Katy Love, Wikimedia Foundation
• Caroline McCoy, Robert R. McCormick Foundation
• Sarina Dayal and Jen Bokoff, Candid
• Kristen Cambell, PACE

Recommended readings for this discussion include: 

• “Has the Time Come for Participatory Grantmaking?”
• “Participatory Grantmaking: Power to the People”
• “Why Every Funder Should Consider Participatory Grantmaking.”
• “Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking

Additional resources shared on the call: