Stories of Impact
Under the right circumstances, modest grants can indeed have an impact multiplier effect. We have compiled stories where grant providers and recipients report they achieved this effect. While we acknowledge that proving correlation is challenging, there is a recognizable pattern: Hiring additional human resources and subsequent growth in organizational capacity. We will continue adding stories to strengthen our case. We hope that what we have presented will inspire funders to explore similar modest approaches so that they too can achieve the impact multiplier effect.
Modest Grants Triggered the Impact Multiplier Effect
1. Peter Brach’s best story ever: 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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.
Additional Stories
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.
5. 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.
6. A funder provides a story where a development grant more than paid for itself in the first year. Learn more here.