What We Do
Fund for Shared Insight pools financial and other resources to provide grants, coaching, inspiration, and community-building through collaborative philanthropy. Our work reflects our commitment
Goal
Impact
Theory of Change
Our theory of change outlines our areas of focus; what we have learned so far; how we apply lenses of equity, diversity, and inclusion; our short-, medium- and long-term goals; and the activities and implementation markers along the way.
Our Initiatives
Listen4Good’s growing suite of programs offers expert tools, coaching, and resources to nonprofits building high-quality, client-focused feedback loops designed to help them listen and respond to the people at the heart of their work. Since 2016, more than 630 direct-service organizations — across issue areas, geography, populations served, and budget sizes — have used Listen4Good’s survey-based methodology and full-spectrum supports to listen to the opinions and preferences of more than 181,000 nonprofit clients from across the country, bringing about positive changes in the ways they make decisions, deliver services, partner with clients, and advance equity.
More information about Listen4Good
International
Our exploration around working internationally has included grants to gauge and support nascent feedback projects around the world; discussions with a philanthropy organization interested in replicating Shared Insight in Asia; and plans for a Listen4Good pilot program in Israel. We have also contracted with consultants in six countries to conduct landscape scans and offer recommendations about how funding from Shared Insight might advance listening and feedback practices in their country’s social sector.
More information about International Initiatives
Funder Listening
Our portfolio of seven grantees, all philanthropy support organizations, is working together in a community of practice to develop, disseminate, and champion toolkits and guides to help foundation staff and principal decision-makers build feedback and listening practices that reflect and advance equity.
More information about our funder listening work
Field Building
We see field building as an important frame that encompasses much of our work, including, for example, research and funder listening initiatives. But we also support more direct efforts to build a strong feedback field through infrastructure grants, a fellowship program, and partnering with philanthropic support organizations.
More information about our field-building work
Feedback Research
Our portfolio of feedback research grantees is exploring the relationship between feedback and client outcomes. We believe this body of research is the first of its kind in the U.S. and has the potential to inform the social services field, especially if a strong link is demonstrated.
More information about feedback research
Participatory Grantmaking
Our participatory grantmaking initiative was created to involve people impacted by climate change in the funding and policy decisions that affect them. We convened participatory design and grantmaking teams comprised of people with lived expertise and/or relevant knowledge of climate change in the U.S .to develop and execute a participatory grantmaking plan.
More information about our participatory grantmaking
Theory of Change Illustrated
EXPERIMENT AND INNOVATE
BUILD NONPROFIT FEEDBACK PRACTICE
BUILD A FEEDBACK FIELD
BUILD FOUNDATION FEEDBACK AND LISTENING PRACTICE
CORE FUNDERS WALKING THE WALK
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Lenses
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Lenses
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Shared Insight increases knowledge about different kinds of listening practices
More U.S. nonprofits have a high-quality feedback practice and intentionally address issues related to client feedback
A greater number and variety of funders, nonprofits, and social sector organizations value, promote and actively support/use high-quality feedback
More U.S. funders promote high-quality listening and feedback for nonprofits and themselves
Shared Insight funders use feedback, support nonprofit feedback practice, and share lessons to promote feedback
Short-Term Outcomes
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More nonprofits embrace high-quality listening and feedback practices that advance equity
More funders use feedback or other high-quality listening practices to incorporate the perspectives of people and communities impacted by their decisions; and support nonprofits to do the same
High-quality listening and feedback practices that advance equity become an expected standard among foundations and nonprofits
Mid-Term Outcomes
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Foundations and nonprofits are more meaningfully connected to the people and communities most harmed by structural racism and other systemic inequities, and more responsive to their insights and feedback
Power shifts between constituents, nonprofits, and foundations
The people and communities we seek to serve, especially those most impacted but often least consulted by philanthropy and nonprofits, are better off in ways they define for themselves
Long-Term Outcomes
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We welcome your partnership and feedback.