Some grantmaking changes made during pandemic going away

By DAN PARKS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Chronicle of Philanthropy

The pandemic spurred foundations to change their grant-making practices in ways long sought by nonprofits, although many philanthropies have already started to reverse some of those changes, according to a new study of nearly 300 grantmakers. The changes sought by nonprofits include more unrestricted funding, simplified reporting and record-keeping requirements, and a greater focus on racial equity.  Fifty-five percent of foundations say their grant making changed somewhat in 2020 in response to the pandemic, and 42% reported their practices were “very different.” However, only 21% of foundations said they had sustained all of those changes in 2021. Forty-one percent said they had sustained most changes, and 35% just some changes.