Lay the groundwork for strategic grantmaking

Four steps to align your values with your giving

Two colleagues collaborating to map a strategy on the wall

Philanthropy done well is more than transactional. At its best, it can be transformational for givers and the issues and organizations that are core to their values and mission.

There are steps you can take to help achieve your philanthropic vision and charitable goals. To start, you'll want to design or refine your giving strategy. But how can you do that? And where do you begin?

To help, we recommend a framework for establishing and implementing a giving strategy. This framework is designed to help align your grantmaking with your values, guide the active refinement of your strategy and increase the effectiveness of your giving. Four steps are the basis of the framework:

	1. Define your purpose and mission Create a mission statement, guided by your values and informed by an understanding of community needs, that will serve as your north star.
	2. Consider mission-driven grantmaking strategies Identify funding areas and the style of grantmaking that align with your goals and mission.
	3. Conduct due diligence on selected organizations Identify organizations, develop grantmaking criteria and processes, and then engage in due diligence.
	4. Evaluate and measure Measure the effectiveness of your giving, when possible, to help see your impact in action and refine your strategy over time.