Imagining Healthy Donor/Grantee Partnerships

A few weeks ago, 15 Pangea members and friends gathered on a Saturday morning with 12 iLeap international fellows from 8 different countries in Central America, Asia and Africa.

We came together for a World Café conversation about how to create positive, healthy partnerships between donors and grantees whose work they are attempting to support. Following is a recap written by Allan Paulson, Pangea Giving’s Co-founder. 

The first conversation focused on defining the characteristics of a healthy partnership. People were quick to note that it takes time to develop partnerships, and face to face interactions are very helpful in fostering the kind of open communication that lead to transparency and trust. We talked about working together to develop rights and responsibilities of donors and grantees, and the importance of clearly communicating donor needs and purpose (eg. what do you hope to gain from a site visits? What will you do with the information you collect?). Respect and honesty are also essential components of a healthy partnership, as is a mutual desire to learn from each other. Some noted how important it is to be aware of our own expectations, biases, and privilege before we can see others as they truly are.

Our facilitators Betsy Hale and Sydney Munger skillfully shuffled our small conversation groups so that we had the opportunity to hear and build on many viewpoints. The second conversation focused on what a healthy donor-grantee partnership might look like in action. People envisioned a long term commitment, building step by step, like a friendship, with opportunities for face to face interaction. The international fellows stressed how important it is for grantees to understand the context in which they work: cultural, historical, economic. Through that understanding, success is defined mutually and may change over time as new learning takes place and conditions change. In a healthy partnership one would see flexibility and also humility in acknowledging that change is dynamic and no one has all the answers. Donors may be able to give more than just dollars by sharing knowledge, skills, referrals, etc.

The international leaders stressed how important it is for grantees to understand the context in which they work: cultural, historical, economic. Through that understanding, success is defined mutually and may change over time as new learning takes place and conditions change. In a healthy partnership one would see flexibility and also humility in acknowledging that change is dynamic and no one has all the answers. Donors may be able to give more than just dollars by sharing knowledge, skills, referrals, etc. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge and work within the context of the power differential between donors and grantees. While it exists, people were quick to share examples of how this inequality could be lessened.

I could feel the excitement rise in the room as the conversations progressed. The last question was, “What changes are needed in donor-grantee relationships so that they become healthy partnerships?” At this point, I and others were doing a lot of listening as the International Fellows talked about their experineces and perceptions. They noted that many donors seem motivated initially by a feeling of pity, which the grantees feel is misplaced and unhelpful. They are more able to appreciate and build a relationship through shared compassion. They also noted that many donors go to great lengths to assert their values, experiences and strategies, and show little curiosity to learn the values and experiences of the grantees.

They are more able to appreciate and build a relationship through shared compassion. They also noted that many donors go to great lengths to assert their values, experiences and strategies, and show little curiosity to learn the values and experiences of the grantees. A good partnership is built on a lot of patient, open listening and validation of each other’s cultural norms and differences. Donors need to be open to having their assumptions challenged, and also be willing to develop goals and reporting systems together.

 

 

It was a great discussion, and perhaps a first step in rethinking how donors and grantees can work together in a way that creates a genuine synergy of what each has to offer in the struggle to create sustainable change.

 12/17/2014