A series of case stories from GEO and Northern California Grantmakers.
About the Series
Governance is a key lever for change in philanthropy. As grantmakers navigate rapid change and work to better align governance with their mission and values, learning from peers can help move ideas into practice.
Developed by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) and Northern California Grantmakers (NCG), this series of case stories highlights real-life examples of how grantmakers have evolved their governance culture and practices. Each story explores the featured organization’s governance context, the changes it pursued, their impact and lessons for other funders. Together, the stories illustrate that there is no one right way to do governance. They offer diverse examples of governance change and translatable lessons for other grantmakers.
The Stories
- Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
- McGregor Fund
- The John R. Oishei Foundation
- S.H. Cowell Foundation
- Tara Health Foundation
- Woods Fund Chicago
Explore the case stories to find ideas relevant to your own organization. Read them alongside Toward Meaningful, Valuable, Equitable Governance for broader context, promising practices and practical guidance. GEO and NCG will continue adding case stories to the series over time.
Learn More
For more information and resources on governance, or to learn with other grantmakers about this topic, see GEO’s work on governance and NCG’s governance page.
Acknowledgments
GEO and NCG would like to thank the organizations who contributed their stories to this series, as well as Jessica Bearman, Caitlin Brune and Lauri Valerio for thought partnership and writing services.