Giving away money sounds like a lot of fun,particulary when it is someone else's money. This opportunity to provide financial resources to support local projects is one of the things that prospective members find most appealing about community foundations.
The truth, however, is that grantmaking can be difficult. This is especially true in a community setting in which those making the tough decisions personally know the applicants. This is the main reason that the balance required for thoughtful, effective grantmaking is so hard to achieve and maintain.
Unlike most private foundations, where board or staff members can take a plane home or hang up a telephone after a meeting or conversation during which grants are awarded or denied, those associated with community foundations must live with their decisions every day.
Of course, this can be a great "feel-good" experience when encountering those associated with organizations that have received grants. But there is too little recognition of the fact that, if grantmaking is to be strategic, many applications - including some that are worthwhile - must be denied, therefore disappointing many people. And it's no fun to be in the grocery store checkout line and meet an agency director, whose grant has been denied, or to attend a party and listen to complaints from a board member of an unsuccessful applicant organization.
Nevertheless, making hard choices to achieve effective grants is as much apart of good stewardship as prudent investment policies.
Here at the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia we strive to demonstrate our ability to award grants that make a real difference. Our goal is to prove to potential donors that we are worthy of their trust and generosity.
Being an effective grantmaker requires thorough knowledge of the community the foundation serves, including needs as well as opportunities. We believe our board reflects the composition of our community.
CFNEG makes every effort to balance the act of being a grantmaker, a vehicle for local philanthropy and a leadership force within the Northeast Georgia region.
"WHAT IF... we lived in a world where the will to give was inherent in all of us
and philanthropic instinct was poised as second nature."
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