Stories of Impact
Our growing body of stories suggests that under the right circumstances, relatively small grants can drive big results. In some cases, the results were enormous. For example, several grantmakers collaborated and provided The End Fund with high-level staffing. They went from $57 million to $104 million in revenue in two years. In many stories below, investing in people was the common thread that led to promising results.
What remains less clear are 1) what are the right circumstances? 2) How can we mitigate risk and increase the likelihood of achieving exceptional results? Peter Brach, our founder, convenes funders from large to small. He seeks to draw upon the group’s collective wisdom to answer these questions and replicate some of the successful outcomes. We also recognize that while individual accounts do not establish proof of causation, there’s a discernible link between strategic capacity funding and promising results. As our repository of stories grows, we aim to fortify the evidence of this correlation.
For funders drawn to this collaborative exploration of strategic philanthropy, we welcome your participation. Join the conversation and contribute to our collective understanding here.
Best ROI Stories Involving Modest Grants
1. One forward-thinking funder galvanized others to join him in providing The END Fund with funding to hire development and communication staff. Within two years, the organization went from $57 million to $104 million in revenue. Learn more here.
2. This story details how a $100,000 grant enabled an organization serving the uber-wealthy to create a revenue-generation model that raised $400,000 in the first year. Learn more here.
3. A $70,000 grant enabled TechSoup (TS) to hire an assistant to a lead development person. Without this grant, TS would not have completed its $11.5 million capital campaign by a hard deadline. So far, this additional capital has enabled TS to facilitate $67 million in free or discounted products and services to hundreds of thousands of organizations in 236 countries across the globe. Learn more here.
4. One thoughtful funder asked a nonprofit what they needed. He provided approximately 8,500 Euros over three years. This gave the organization enough breathing room to develop a strategic plan and time to build relationships with additional funders. This resulted in commitments of 566 Euros. Learn more here.
Additional ROI Stories Involving Modest Grants
1. The $19,000 cost of hiring a temporary grantmaker led to the awarding of approximately $250,000 in grants. Learn more here.
2. Through matching grants, SHOFCO secured $60,000 to undergo a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation process. Afterward, Mastercard let the staff know they were impressed with their M&E work and subsequently awarded them a grant exceeding $1 million. Learn more here.
3. Nonprofit leaders could easily spend 40-60% of their time doing what could be done with others. This story conveys the enormous impact one organization achieved when it’s CEO was able to free up time. Learn more here.
4. Networks can achieve exceptional impact. MoveOn.org is one of the earliest examples. Fito is a global network of networks helping its constituents get the support they need. It is an example of big, broad, bold philanthropy. However, if it was not for two generous funders willing to provide start-up grants, Fito Network may not have gotten off the ground. Learn more here.
A Powerful Example of Long-term Operational Support
Under the right circumstances, long-term operational funding can yield exceptional social impact. Read about one extraordinary story here.
SIIO leaders share their successes and frustrations
Karen Ansara, Founder at NEID Global provides an evocative account of the progress she has witnessed in her work. You will find her account here.
This story shares a funder’s journey from Rachael’s Network to efforts toward achieving collective impact, to her current organization, ValuesAdvisors. Learn more here.
A foundation that never considered providing funding for a development person did and the cost was covered within the first year, Learn more here.