Global Greengrants Fund has been breaking new ground in environmental grantmaking for more than 20 years. We buck traditional philanthropic models by giving local people in non-industrialized countries the power to decide which projects to back—and how to use our support to advance their health, safety, environments, and rights.
Through our network of expert, on-the-ground advisors, we now make more than 700 grants per year—more than any other funder in the world, according to the Foundation Center’s “Advancing Human Rights” report—to people protecting their rights to a clean environment. We’re known for quickly and efficiently getting the right amount of money to the right groups at the right time.
But with so many grant recipients and a process that prioritizes flexibility and efficiency, it can be challenging to know exactly how each grant is moving the needle locally, regionally, and globally.
- How are grantees creating change in their communities and globally?
- Does our grassroots grantmaking model work?
- Are we having an impact and how can we stay accountable to donors?
To answer these and other questions, in 2015 we conducted our first third-party global evaluation, surveying 124 grant recipients in 41 countries.
Key findings
- The average grant size was $4,121.
- 60% of grant recipients said their primary goal was to influence decision-makers. 93% of those who answered the question said they had been successful to a large or small extent.
- 59% described highly impressive wins, such as stopping dams, enforcing environmental permits, decreasing pollution from lead and mercury, and demarcating land for indigenous peoples. Top challenges focused on funding needs, power differentials, and the closing space for civil society.
- 31% of grants supported projects that benefited indigenous peoples.
- 69% of grant recipients said gender is “essential” or “important” to their work.
- 88% of grant recipients said our grant process was “very good” or “good.” The large majority of written feedback described the grant process as “simple,” “easy,” “transparent,” and “quick.”
- 38% of grant recipients said Global Greengrants was their first outside funder.
- 40% of grant recipients said they are growing as an organization.
Going forward, Global Greengrants will interview the same grantees every two years. These surveys will be a vital part of our organizational learning—and will help us increase our impact, better meet the needs of our grantees, and be more accountable to you, our supporters.
Download the 4-page executive summary >>
Data was published in January 2016.