Transforming Philanthropy: Insights from Mackenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates Strategy

Ellen,

I recently attended an energizing webinar hosted by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. I was hoping to gain insights into their hosting approach, as I am honored to be a speaker in an upcoming Chronicle webinar, and I was equally intrigued by the topic of how philanthropy is transforming.

The discussion centered around trends observed in nonprofits that have received funding from MacKenzie Scott, based on research by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The speakers highlighted how Open Call granting processes are breaking down decision-making silos in philanthropic funding, thereby increasing the decision-making agency of recipient nonprofits.

These developments are truly inspiring and resonate with ResultsLab’s mission to enhance nonprofit influence and impact through the power of data. We are committed to building agency within nonprofits, supporting them to build their capacity for data-informed decision making in ways that best serve their communities.

We hope to continue this important conversation and are excited to host a virtual Coffee Collective event featuring two of our expert consultants who will share 5 Strategies for Elevating Grantee + Community Voice for Funders.

Join us (virtually) on August 27th, 1pm MT / 3pm EST. If you're interested in joining us, register here.

Cindy

Founder & CEO

August Resources

READING

Trust-Based Philanthropy Isn’t an Excuse to Ignore Metrics – It’s the Opposite – An article highlighting that performance measurement fosters trust, accountability, and improves the effectiveness of both funders and grantees.
Deeping Impact Through Relational Philanthropy – This article highlights how trust-rich relationships in philanthropy are transformative, foster inclusivity, deepen community bonds, and drive meaningful social change.
2024 Philanthropic Landscape, 13th Edition - The upcoming 2024 Philanthropic Landscape report will analyze 2023 donor giving trends, featuring key data from Giving USA and other sources.
A Sneak Peek Into MacKenzie Scott's Giving, Courtesy of Her Grantees - Few details about MacKenzie Scott’s selection process for her unrestricted, multimillion-dollar gifts to nonprofits have become public since she began her philanthropy.
MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates Are Both Disrupting Philanthropy - but Not Always in the Same Way - These leaders in philanthropy may use different strategies, but they share some fundamental approaches.
What Does It Mean When You Get Two MacKenzie Scott Gifts? Recipients Aren't Sure Either - MacKenzie Scott has given grants to over 2,300 nonprofits, with a small subset receiving multiple grants, highlighting her focus on crisis response, diverse causes, and funding effective or historically underfunded organizations.

LISTENING

How MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates are Transforming Philanthropy - Panelists highlighted the transformative impact of large, unrestricted gifts from philanthropists on nonprofit stability, programmatic work, and community engagement, the benefits of transparent and inclusive grant-making for smaller nonprofits, and the shifting power dynamics in philanthropy, with a focus on women and girls’ causes and diverse approaches.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We're Hiring! Check out our current open positions and please share in your networks.
- Impact Consultant
Impact Accelerator Nonprofit and Funder Waitlist – our next round of Impact Accelerators will launch in October - As you go into 2025 Strategic Planning, consider developing a robust Impact Strategy to enhance your ability to achieve stronger outcomes and greater impact.
- Learn more about the Impact Accelerator process for funders here.
- Learn more about the Impact Accelerator process for nonprofits here.

LET'S CONNECT

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ResultsLab is a woman-owned social enterprise that propels organizations, communities, and networks to the next level of impact through quality design and effective use of data. We are reinventing impact management by providing strategic design and capacity building for data informed decision-making to organizations and networks that exist to drive change for our communities.