Our Approach
Our grants and related programming are generally divided into three main building blocks with three cross-programmatic motifs for shared learning and coordination across our programs:
Our Grantmaking Approach
Within each program, our grants and related programming are generally divided into three main categories or building blocks:
Most program strategies include investments in strengthening the enabling conditions for broad and sustained progress toward the program’s overall mission. These investments are intended to strengthen the ability of the relevant ecosystem or movement to carry and sustain the work on a variety of fronts over time, shifting beliefs and narratives, building power, deepening learning, strengthening coalitions, innovating, anticipating and adapting to change, aligning and refining strategy, renewing and broadening leadership, exploiting opportunities, responding to threats, mobilizing resources, and sustaining progress. These investments in enabling conditions are typically longer-term investments made with a long-term view.
This building block allows important work to scale up in particular places at key moments, generating wins that create momentum (or forestall negative momentum).
Each program’s strategy identifies one or more areas where we seek to add special value through narrow but sustained focus on selected key social change outcomes that accelerate progress toward the program’s mission and strengthen the enabling conditions for future work.
Motifs
We are elevating three cross-programmatic motifs for shared learning and coordination across our programs:
While our programmatic commitment to advancing racial justice is centered in the Racial Justice program, several other programs include important elements of work that are directed at remedying race-based inequities, strengthening the voice and power of communities of color, countering structural racism within the respective ecosystem, or otherwise advancing racial justice or equity.
Our programmatic commitment to advancing gender justice is centered in the Women’s Rights program as well as the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression program and Global Children’s Rights program, yet several other programs are include important elements of work that are directed at remedying gender-based inequalities and countering patriarchy in their respective ecosystems, or otherwise advancing gender justice and gender equity.
Although our programmatic commitment to advancing economic justice is centered in the Economic Justice program, several other programs include important elements of work around reducing economic inequality and addressing systemic drivers in inequity in their respective ecosystems.