Beyond the Check: Walking Alongside Our Grantee Partners

Share

Link copied!

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s approach to building and maintaining relationships with grantees goes far beyond financial support. We adhere to our Core Values by not only Giving Back to Others, but also Putting People First, Including Everyone, Innovating Continuously, Leading by Example, and Listening and Responding.  

A Conversation with Danny Shoy, Jr. 

Danny Shoy, Jr., the foundation’s Managing Director for Youth Development and Atlanta’s Westside, shares how the foundation goes beyond the grant check by listening to feedback, building grantee capacity and investing in long-term impact. 

How does the foundation build authentic, long-term relationships with grantees? 
We prioritize ongoing communication as a way to listen and respond. That means not just checking in during annual reports or payment cycles but maintaining a respectful and consistent dialogue. This approach reflects our commitment to true partnership and allows us to better understand how progress is going, what we might learn and what else we might offer to our grantees. 

What role does trust play in determining how and where to invest in a grantee partner’s growth? 
Trust is essential, whether it is a first-time investment or a renewal grant. One example is our long-standing partnership with First Tee. The foundation has supported First Tee since 1999 because it has consistently demonstrated effectiveness, impact and a commitment to positive outcomes for the young people it serves. For more than 15 years, this partnership has been based on mutual trust.  

How do you ensure power dynamics do not hinder honest, two-way communication? Has there been a time when listening deeply changed the foundation’s strategy? 
It starts with humility. Our grantees are working on the ground with communities every day. We must show up ready to listen, reflect and learn with them. A powerful example is the 2022 refresh of our Westside strategy. We did not just review our own work. We actively listened to grantees, community leaders and residents. Their insights revealed that while progress had been made, new and more critical needs had emerged. That feedback helped us shift our approach and respond in more meaningful ways. We would not have known that without listening with humility. 

What is the importance of storytelling in highlighting grantee partners? 
Storytelling adds heart to the data. Grantmaking is both an art and a science, and storytelling is the bridge between the two. It humanizes success and can inspire other funders to support impactful work. When done well, storytelling becomes a powerful tool for connection, influence and change. 

What are some ways the foundation builds capacity within grantee organizations? 
One way is by investing in their ability to gather feedback from the people they serve. Feedback is a powerful tool that helps grantees understand whether they are meeting constituents’ needs, treating them with respect and innovating their programs effectively. Another approach is strengthening grantees’ capacity. A great example of that is Reach Higher Montana. A grant from the foundation helped them become more independent by increasing their capacity and reducing their reliance on consultants. 

One way that the foundation invests in grantees is through Listen4Good, an organization that offers capacity-building programs for grantees and collects resources and data to improve client experiences. How has Listen4Good influenced the foundation’s understanding of community needs? 
Several of our Westside grantees have participated in Listen4Good. Through that initiative, we learned that residents felt their needs were being met and that they were treated with respect. Just as importantly, it helped grantees refine their program models, operational practices and service delivery. 

If you could offer one piece of advice to other funders looking to go beyond the check, what would it be? 
To maximize impact, funders can get to know the communities they serve through volunteering, lending expertise and finding consistent ways to innovate and strengthen the funder-grantee relationship. Funders also have a unique vantage point. By supporting multiple organizations working toward similar outcomes, we can help grantees learn from one another and build informal communities of practice. This strengthens their services, operations and overall impact. 

The importance of writing checks can’t be understated. Financial support is the cornerstone of philanthropy. But in order to truly create long-term impact, funders and nonprofits need to go beyond the check with additional investments of time and resources. The foundation will continue to work with our partners so that communities can thrive together. 

Discover more about how the Blank Family Foundation goes “Beyond the Check” with its grantee partners by checking out our stories of impact.