I’ve been fortunate to work with a variety of client organizations, including philantrophy.

Navigating grantee-funder relationships while staying true to your mission is complex. It’s a landscape where aspirations to create meaningful change often intersect with the practicalities of securing funding.

However, amidst the pursuit of financial support, I’ve observed how nonprofits, in their eagerness to access resources, may place themselves in funding relationships that run counter to their organizational mission.

Ideally, grantees should be able to leverage a grantee-funder relationship while also feeling confident to push back against unreasonable demands and not lose sight of their mission. This delicate balancing act underscores the complexity and importance of navigating the grantee-funder relationship with confidence and integrity.

Here are five tips for maintaining your organizational mission while engaging building relationships with funders: