How can foundations ensure that the process of evaluating outcomes is useful and least disruptive? In this critical time, many philanthropic organizations are shifting the ways in which they are supporting grantees.

"Some of the changes instituted might be so effective that they become standard practice in the future. Who knows—perhaps we will look back on this time and wonder why we didn’t do things differently before the pandemic. It feels like anything is possible today."

By learning from this crisis and others before it, foundations can do more—individually and as an alliance—to identify and prepare themselves and their partners for major threats in the future and their impact on long-term efforts to solve serious social problems. Doing so will help ensure that the opportunities for innovative solutions created by a crisis today become the building blocks of a more just world tomorrow.

For about a year now FSG has been exploring how we can more effectively deliver on our work to help our clients create social impact. When COVID-19 hit, many of those practices went out the window and we’ve needed to evolve quickly.

We’re also thinking about how our response might help catalyze the equitable systems change we crave. In our latest blog, senior knowledge manager Caitlin Darisse offers 6 practices and behaviors you can use in your own company to weather the pandemic.

In these times of crisis, foundations have an opportunity to help by increasing their payout.

The payout decision should never simply default to the 5% floor. It should be a decision made annually that balances investment returns and inflation with the foundation’s charitable purpose and the timely needs of those it serves.

Read why it's OK to pay out more than 5%, from FSG co-founder Mark R. Kramer >