Listening To What Nonprofits Really Need: The “What” And “How” Of Building Understanding
November 04, 2022
As a donor or a pro bono volunteer, how can you change the way that you listen to nonprofit organizations to make sure that your support is having the most impact?
For more than a decade, the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has collected data and conducted research on how funders can best support nonprofits. Though our primary focus is on foundations, much of this research can translate to other institutions and individuals that provide support, especially when it comes to volunteering and skills-based pro bono work.
Of course, you know that you need to ask nonprofits what they need. Taproot helps to make that possible: they help nonprofits share their needs and match them with volunteers and work carefully to ensure a great fit.
But let’s step back and ask: why are nonprofits asking for certain types of support? Is it because that’s what they really need, or because that’s what they think is most likely to be offered? We think it’s probably some combination of both. Knowing this, building a deeper sense of their challenges and contexts, and really listening to nonprofits, can help you ensure that your support has the most impact.
So how do you move forward? We’ll dive into CEP’s research on the types of support that have the greatest impact in strengthening nonprofit organizations, what nonprofits want their funders to know, and some best practices for listening to and getting feedback from those you seek to help.
Speaker: Mena Boyadzhiev, Director, Assessment and Advisory Services, The Center for Effective Philanthropy