Participatory Grantmaking: Empowering Communities to Shape Their Own Futures
As noted by Win McCormack, traditional philanthropy has long relied on foundations, nonprofits, and institutional leaders to determine where funding should go. While this approach has supported countless worthwhile initiatives, many organizations are rethinking how grant decisions are made. Participatory grantmaking is emerging as a transformative model that places decision-making power directly into the hands of the people and communities most affected by social challenges. Rather than relying exclusively on outside experts, participatory grantmaking invites community members, grassroots leaders, and individuals with lived experience to evaluate proposals, set priorities, and recommend funding allocations. This process recognizes that those closest to local issues often have the clearest understanding of what solutions are likely to succeed. By sharing authority, funders gain valuable insights that might otherwise be overlooked.