Foundations
Foundations that have been grantmaking in traditional ways are beginning to explore the idea of Flow Funding. Foundations and their grantees are seeing the limitations of quantitative measures of effectiveness and investigating new approaches to giving effective grants.
To more deeply understand the effectiveness of Flow Funding, download:
- the PDF interview between Flow Fund Circle Founder, Marion Rockefeller Weber and Alliance Magazine: "Why Small Grants Matter,"
- the article, by Chet Tchozewski, Executive Director of
Why Flow Fund?
There are a variety of good reasons why Foundations may want to begin Flow Funding:
- Flow funding is a way to bring more trust, surprise, delight and discovery into a Foundation’s giving.
- Flow Funding allows large amounts of money to flow out in a sane and meaningful way through many small grassroots grants.
- Flow Funding is a way to democratize philanthropy by giving more people the opportunity to practice philanthropy.
- It is a way to have a foundation’s money reach numerous new beneficiaries who are chosen by people with extensive grassroots experience.
- It is a chance to practice ‘capillary’ philanthropy.
- Flow Funding is a way to empower initiators and visionaries to be philanthropists.
Quotes from traditional philanthropists who are new to Flow Funding
Resources
Downlaod the PDF transcript from the 2005 Council on Foundations Conference: Participants included:
William Ryan, from ; Chet Tchozewski, the Executive Director of ; and Gayle Williams, of the .
For additional examples of innovations in philanthropy, see our Resources section.
Examples of Flow Funding by Foundations
- Beyond Boundaries
- The Tipping Point Network
- The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
