High-Quality Ways to Hear Directly From Communities
June 11, 2025 — 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. CT
Location
Council on Foundations: Leading Locally 2025 Conference
Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN
Many funders rely on feedback from grantees to improve their grantmaking, but hesitate to go right to the source and listen to the people at the heart of their work. It can be daunting to listen directly to communities, but it’s an essential part of responsible stewardship and equitable strategies.
In this participatory session, attendees will hear how place-based funders are listening directly to those most affected by their grantmaking while maintaining trust with grantees. Attendees will explore practical tools and workshop how listening directly to communities can support their own work.
Speakers:
- Britt Lake, Chief Executive Officer, Feedback Labs
- Ryan Priester, Senior Program Officer, Chicago Commitment, John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- Winoka Yepa, Director of Research and Education, Native Americans in Philanthropy
