Interpret Grantmaking Guidelines in New Ways

A grantmaker found, for example, that the foundation generally funded groups organizing for policy change at state, regional, and national levels — a practice that had the unintended effect of disqualifying many people-of-color led groups, which tended to work at a more local level. The foundation’s board approved a change to allow grants to be made to local groups if they showed an interest in engaging with state, regional, and national networks and if their engagement would diversify the field. She also saw that the foundation’s definition of “policy” work might be expanded beyond traditional legislative advocacy. Using a new, wider definition, the foundation now funds projects such as a Latino farmworker group that promotes a social justice label certifying fair prices for farmers and decent wages and conditions for workers. “That was a type of ‘policy’ work I might not previously have been looking for.”