BoardSource Grantee Support Program

Nonprofit boards are an underutilized resource in the nonprofit sector. Too many boards are focused solely on compliance and financial oversight. And too many leaders direct boards to fundraising support and otherwise acting in mostly an advisory or ambassadorial capacity. More board members need to be better focused on championing and stewarding the nonprofit’s purpose, taking into account its mission, vision, and values, with an eye on both the short-term and long-term.

I’m a strong believer that improving nonprofit governance across the sector can create substantial change for the better. This is why I’m honored to be a board member of BoardSource, the leading organization focused on strengthening nonprofit board leadership in ways that directly reflect and support the communities they serve.

I’m now excited to share BoardSource’s new initiative, the Grantee Support Program. It comes at a critical time for nonprofits, many of whom are under myriad threats and challenges when strong governance may be the difference in determining the future of the organization and its impact and relationship with its communities.

The Grantee Support Program is a 12-month partnership that helps nonprofit boards and executives strengthen leadership and governance through BoardSource Membership, peer learning, workshops, and real-time guidance.

Designed for foundations, it offers meaningful support for grantees and a turnkey implementation experience for staff.

I’m reaching out to our readers who lead foundations in my capacity as a board member at BoardSource, an organization I’ve been proud to support and lead through an exciting, community-centered transformation. Under Monika Kalra Varma’s leadership, BoardSource has focused on strengthening board leadership in ways that directly reflect and support the communities they serve. And we do so with a theory of practice rooted in continual listening, learning, and co-creating to build and share our expertise.

In that spirit, and after years of deep listening and learning, BoardSource has created an initiative I’m excited to champion—the Grantee Support Program. As nonprofits face growing scrutiny, instability and challenges, foundations are asking themselves—what do our partners truly need from us right now? And how can we make our grant dollars go further? The Grantee Support Program is a response to these critical needs and questions.

Participating foundations have the unique opportunity to provide governance support to all U.S.-based grantees and targeted support for a smaller subset of organizations. All that is required of foundations is to make the investment—and BoardSource will take care of the rest..

The Grantee Support Program will launch in October—and BoardSource would love to count on your participation as a founding partner. You can download the 2027 Program Overview here, and I’d also be happy to connect you with the BoardSource team to explore further.

While tough times are certainly ahead, this inflection point presents an opportunity to reimagine systems—and board governance has a critical role to play. I hope you’ll join me in strengthening and transforming nonprofit leadership and creating a new way forward for our sector.