From eJewish Philanthropy (April 27, 2021)

This op-ed co-authored by JFN Director of Peer Engagement Tamar Frydman and UpStart's Aliza Mazor, emphasizes the importance of ensuring that "the level of honesty and mutual support" many funders and nonprofits achieved during the Covid pandemic "continues as we move out of Covid and towards a new reality."

Tamar and Aliza argue that GrantED, the new joint JFN and UpStart project will play an important role.

We came up with GrantED, a mix of resources and programs that we hope both funders and nonprofits will use. GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform both groups, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful philanthropic partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

The site’s resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. Users are encouraged to rate and comment on these resources; in doing so, we hope not only to learn what resources are most useful, but to promote conversation and dialogue among the many grantmakers and grantseekers we hope will visit the site. GrantED also encourages this interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations and other programs, such as a webinar next month — one that is open to the entire community — about Covid’s impact on philanthropic relationships.

GrantED is not just about giving people skills and training, but about promoting empathy and building effective, harmonious, and fruitful partnerships.

Read the full op-ed by Tamar Frydman and Aliza Mazor in eJewish Philanthropy.