Nonprofits and community partners are operating under increasing strain—from funding uncertainty and rising demand to political scrutiny and public pressure. Many are being asked to do more with less, while navigating a more complex and, at times, more fragile operating environment.

During a July 8 virtual Roundtable, corporate impact and philanthropy leaders from across the NationSwell ecosystem gathered to explore how funders can better support their grantees and partners in this moment. The conversation was a candid exploration of what responsible, responsive partnership looks like today, and how funders can show up in ways that strengthen the organizations they rely on to deliver impact. Some of the most salient takeaways from the event appear below:

Key takeaways

Fund collaboration as much as you fund the mission. The appetite for coordinated work has rarely been higher, with more openness to shared ventures than the field has seen in years. Yet the exploration and design of that collaboration too often goes unfunded, leaving good instincts unrealized. Creating deliberate incentives and funding for partnership, shared infrastructure, and collaborative planning is a durable way to strengthen the sector.

Invest in leaders as people. Operational funding keeps organizations running, but the leaders steering them are navigating burnout, isolation, and extraordinary strain. Especially at a time when investments in strategic planning, professional development, and organizational capacity are increasingly viewed as luxuries, funders have an opportunity to treat leader wellbeing and organizational health as essential. 

Narrow the focus without sacrificing relationships. As funders concentrate resources among fewer grantees and organizations return to their core strengths, the discipline of doing fewer things well is proving sustainable. The opportunity is to sharpen strategic focus while remaining intentional about maintaining relationships, exploring partnerships, and ensuring valuable organizations do not become disconnected from the broader ecosystem.

Support creative experimentation. Organizations are innovating faster in response to a rapidly changing operating environment, yet many funders still look for evidence before investing. Creating room for pilots, learning, and responsible experimentation enables nonprofits to generate the evidence funders seek while accelerating new approaches that better meet evolving community needs.

Remove friction and replace it with trust. Waiving unnecessary administrative requirements, simplifying applications and reporting, and continually asking partners what barriers funders can remove frees organizations to focus on their mission instead of bureaucracy. Just as importantly, creating trusted channels for honest feedback allows funders to respond as collaborative partners.

Extend support beyond the grant. Some of the most valuable support lives outside the grant like legal and policy expertise, marketing and communications, and accessible support networks. Funders can also leverage their influence by bringing nonprofit partners into rooms where their voices are heard, their expertise informs decisions, and their networks can grow. These forms of support build capacity that funding alone cannot provide.

Keep convening, and keep listening. In a period of sustained uncertainty, peer networks have become an essential source of perspective, validation, and problem-solving. Regularly bringing partners together and checking in with them between convenings creates opportunities to surface emerging needs and ensure support evolves alongside the realities organizations are facing.