Impact on Fields and Organisations

Impact on Grantees’ fields and local communities

Grantees’ perceptions about a funder’s impact on grantees’ fields and local communities reflect a foundation’s decisions about its focus, goals, and strategies. For example, while some funders focus on and are able to achieve high ratings of impact on both grantees’ fields and local communities, many funders focus on one or the other and therefore may place more value on feedback in one area. As with all sections of this report, we encourage interpretation of these results in light of a foundation’s goals and strategies. Lower ratings in an area that is not core to a funder’s work may not be concerning. In addition to perceptions of impact, this section contains grantees’ perceptions of understanding of fields and local communities, a key predictor of higher ratings on these impact measures.

Field related measures

“Overall, how would you rate the Foundation’s impact on your field?”

1 = No impact

7 = Significant positive impact

“How well does the Foundation understand the field in which you work?”

1 = Limited understanding

7 = Thorough understanding

Impact on Grantees’ organisations

Many funders consider grantees’ perceptions of impact on the grantee organisation to be a crucial measure of success, and grantees are well positioned to comment on the impact of funding and assistance on their organisations, work, and sustainability. Each of these topics are covered in this section of the report.

Grantee organisation-related measures

“Overall, how would you rate the Foundation’s impact on your organisation?”