Grantmaking for Community Impact Project (GCIP) - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy

Increasing philanthropic resources for advocacy, organizing and civic engagement

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Gulf/Mid South report

The Grantmaking for Community Impact Project demonstrates the tremendous return on grant dollars invested in policy and civic engagement efforts of nonprofits through research conducted in New Mexico, North Carolina, Minnesota, Los Angeles County, Northwest Region, Pennsylvania and the Gulf/Midsouth.

We measured impact using quantitative and qualitative methods, drawing on the latest advances in advocacy evaluation, organizing outcome measurement, and the positive returns to social capital from civic engagement.

Below arer useful tools for current and prospective funders of policy and civic engagement.

New Releases

Leveraging Limited Dollars: How Grantmakers Achieve Tangible Results by Funding Policy and Community Engagement

By Lisa Ranghelli
January 2012

It provides solid evidence of the impacts of foundation-funded policy advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement based on findings from the seven research sites. The report explains why these strategies are successful and how they create stronger communities.

GCIP Impacts Directory

This directory contains every advocacy and community organizing impact that was achieved by 110 organizations in 13 states over a five-year period. The directory is a compilation of data reported in each of seven "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities" reports, and includes monetized and non-monetized impacts.

Research Sites

Additional references

Related Initiatives

	Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact These are the first ever set of measurable guidelines for foundations and institutional grantmakers to operate ethically and maximize the impact of their dollars.

	High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy Grantmakers focusing on arts and culture, education, environment, health and other issues can boost their impact by thinking about who benefits from their giving and how policy and community engagement might help them address the root causes of the social problems they care about.

	Philanthropy's Promise Foundations that sign on to Philanthropy's Promise commits to providing at least half their grant dollars for the intended benefit of underserved communities, broadly defined, and at least one quarter of their grant dollars for systemic change efforts involving advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement.

	Community-based Local Research Grassroots community organizations provide critical services and advocate and organize many underserved communities to amplify their voices on important issues that affect them.