Foundation Center Launches GrantCraft Makeover

Intuitive Design Is Hallmark of Global Community of Learning for Philanthropy

New York, NY – June 25, 2014. Foundation Center, the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide, has launched a completely redesigned website for its GrantCraft service, which harnesses the practical wisdom of funders worldwide to provide free resources that improve the practice of philanthropy. The new site is home to guides, blogs, videos, and other media that address questions faced by funders of all types around the world, helping to support a global movement of strategic philanthropy.

“We know that people often become funders through routes other than formal education programs, which is why GrantCraft fills such a critical need,” said Jen Bokoff, director of GrantCraft at the Foundation Center. “The knowledge grantmakers gain through exposure to real-world examples from their peers across the globe empowers them to be more strategic and effective when making funding decisions.”

In addition to an improved interface, the redesigned GrantCraft website offers a full slate of time-tested and new features, including:

• Guides: Reports have long been the heart of GrantCraft’s value; new titles are continually being developed, and many have been translated into other languages.

• Takeaways: Searchable bite-sized pieces of information help busy users zero in on essential content from longer guides and case studies.

• Discussions: Weekly discussions around a particular question — for instance, how to collaborate with other funders — foster conversation and learning, and are searchable for convenient archival access.

The GrantCraft community — currently more than 50,000 users — can learn from diverse foundations, geographies, issue areas, and topics through stories, questions, and ideas curated by the GrantCraft team. The website is divided into three main categories: strategies (such as advocacy and collaboration), issues (such as health and youth), and content types (such as infographics and events). To support a global community of funders, an increasing amount of content is translated into other languages. Users of GrantCraft are encouraged to take advantage of free registration, which affords them access to the monthly newsletter, a personal dashboard where specific resources of interest can be collected, and the ability to share new content and comment throughout the site.

“GrantCraft offers an invaluable opportunity for grantmakers to connect, engage, and learn from each other,” said Sandra Dunsmore, director of the Grant Making Support Group at the Open Society Foundations, a lead funder of the Foundation Center 2020 Investment Plan, which supported the GrantCraft redesign project. 

Dunsmore added, “Peer learning is a powerful tool. The wealth of perspectives and experiences shared by fellow grantmakers on GrantCraft.org has an impact that goes far beyond the individual. It is a source of inspiration and a reminder that we, as funders, must remain open to new ideas that challenge our way of thinking and working. Such peer-to-peer collaboration and learning enables a community of funders to be more effective and innovative.”

In addition to funders, GrantCraft is intended for consultants that work with foundations, philanthropy networks, researchers, and journalists interested in exploring funders' experiences, and grantseeking organizations that want to understand how funders think.

GrantCraft was started by the Ford Foundation in 2001, became a joint project of the Foundation Center and the European Foundation Centre in 2011, and has been managed solely by the Foundation Center since April of this year. The Foundation Center’s future plans aim to strengthen GrantCraft’s position as a primary source of learning and training for new funders, as well as a trusted resource for seasoned funders.

GrantCraft can be found at grantcraft.org and on Twitter at @grantcraft.

Cheryl Loe
Communications Project Manager
Foundation Center
(888) 356-0354 ext. 701
communications@foundationcenter.org

Jen Bokoff
Director of GrantCraft
Foundation Center
(212) 807-2536
info@grantcraft.org

About the Foundation Center
Established in 1956, the Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit the Center's web site each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and at more than 470 Funding Information Network locations nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call (212) 620-4230.

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