We are big believers in backing ideas from communities and partnering with funders keen to advance trust-based philanthropy.
Our deep relationships and subject matter expertise mean grantmaking goes beyond surface solutions, working in active collaboration with communities to direct investments that maximize positive outcomes for nature and communities.
As an intermediary, MakeWay strategically manages funds for partners and mobilizes grants that advance community-led change.
We meet community partners where they are, with flexible proposal and reporting requirements, and strategic supports to help navigate the systemic barriers that keep underserved communities from accessing funding.
We host over 140 funds advised by both donors and communities, to mobilize philanthropy to advance community-led change for social and environmental well-being. All our advised funds are invested in a fossil fuel-free portfolio. Learn more about community and donor advised funds at MakeWay.
We support groups of funders leverage their impact based on needs determined by community. Funding collaboratives seek coordination between a variety of funders who share like-minded missions. They are a shift away from traditional grantmaking because they trust community voices and those working on the ground to play the primary decision-making roles. The flexibility of this type of philanthropy provides many benefits for local communities, easing their ability to scale community-driven solutions and removing common financial challenges that can limit capacity. Learn more about collaboratives at MakeWay.
Programmatic funds at MakeWay are strategically managed by our staff and support grantmaking that align with our priority areas. Grants from these funds flow to place-based programs through our deep community relationships, and is mobilized to connect community initiatives working on shared issues across the country.
MakeWay offers the country’s first fully-customizable 100% impact invested donor advised fund – ImpactDAF. This unique philanthropic vehicle provides the grantmaking functions of a donor advised fund, while also activating the underlying investments for positive impact. Learn more about our ImpactDAF.
We are a public foundation and our grantmaking is largely advised by community and donor partners and is restricted to existing work. If you have not already, please read about MakeWay’s key priority areas to understand what we are focused on.
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