Philanthropic Learning Journeys | How to Design for Impact?

What is a Learning Journey?

A learning journey is a series of intentionally planned experiences with thought leaders in the field of philanthropy. It is more than just going on site visits. You may want to go deeper in understanding your role as an effective funder in a specific area. How can you work smarter and more creatively to make the philanthropic impact you wish to see in the world?

A learning journey can include a series of:

• Nonprofit site visits;
• conversations with nonprofit leaders, policy makers and elected officials around specific issues or communities; 
• travel study experiences to see how other funders are addressing issues in other communities;
• watching a series of webinars addressing research and trends impacting specific issues or communities; 
• reading articles, case studies, and research on a particular topic; and/or
• visits with other philanthropic families to understand their giving journeys.

Why embark on a Learning Journey?

Effective philanthropy requires continual inquiry and learning. When you embark on a learning journey as a family or as a board, it can reset how you collectively prioritize your grantmaking strategy. Getting out from behind the desk or board table can catalyze new thinking! You should strongly consider embarking on a learning journey to:

• Cultivate a culture of curiosity within a family or board.
• Create stronger relationships across family and with community partners.
• Help to get you “unstuck” when contemplating a specific funding strategy. A learning journey invites additional voices and perspectives into the conversation that help inform a family’s philanthropic strategy. Your network of experts expands.
• Catalyze vulnerability and, in turn, humility within a board or family; it helps you to recognize what you don’t know.
• Make decisions with greater confidence.

When is the right time to kick off a Learning Journey?

You may get some push back from family or board members at the suggestion of embarking on this endeavor, but it is worth the investment of time. A good time to embark on a learning journey is when you are: 

• Reassessing issues or geographic areas you hope to impact.
• Retooling or building your philanthropic governance structure.
• Just getting started as a philanthropist and curious about various learning. 
• Welcoming the next generation of a family to the philanthropy table and fostering their understanding of the issues the family is hoping to impact. This is especially important for families who are place based focused in their philanthropy with family members no longer living in that community.

An effective learning journey can encompass a few months or last as long as a year or two. The important element is that you feel that the design is thoughtful and incorporates active stakeholders within a particular issue in a particular geography.

How do you design a compelling Learning Journey?

The design of a learning journey can be as important as the experiences themselves. Careful consideration should be paid to what voices are invited into the conversations as well as the sequences of the experiences. 

It should have a clear beginning and ending with an arc of exploration and self-reflection. For example, starting with data and reading in advance of conversations can make for more fruitful discussions with front line leaders. Likewise, concluding a learning journey with systems level thinking can feel less overwhelming. Beginning with a policy maker on an issue could feel overwhelming at the start; policy discussions may serve you better once you have an understanding of the data and you have spoken with leaders on the front lines of an issue.

As a part of the learning journey, you should acknowledge the time leaders spend with you and even consider an honorarium gift to nonprofits with whom you visit.

What are the outcomes of a Learning Journey?

Learning journeys require time and thoughtful planning. It is a worthwhile investment in yourself as a philanthropist as it broadens your knowledge on particular topics and deepens your relationships inside the family and in your community. You can expect the following as outcomes:

• Collective learning as a philanthropic family or board can be one of the most effective ways for a family or board to connect and grow together.
• Broader understanding of philanthropic governance structures and best practices. You may feel more comfortable embracing trust based philanthropic practices after having listened to other families or board members share their experiences.
• Family members and foundation board members have deeper knowledge on a particular issue area or geography; they move with consensus in making confident grantmaking decisions.
• Next Gen family members feel engaged in the work and are more confident in their place at the family giving table.
• You feel more confident moving from a “monitor” of your philanthropy to engaging in more meaningful relationships with nonprofit leaders. 

Get Started!

Effectively designed learning journeys facilitate more generosity and empathy on behalf of the philanthropist. You feel more connected to the issues at play and certainly you have more authentic relationships with thought leaders in the field. Overall, you will conclude the learning journey feeling more inspired to be a thoughtful, philanthropic leader.

About Grant Philanthropic Advisors:
We’re an independent, Charleston-based firm helping clients to focus and maximize their philanthropy—in turn, strengthening the fabric of our communities. Founded in 2019, we help donors move from responsive patterns of giving by assisting clients to identify values and become more strategic in their philanthropy. Our goal is to help donors to become more effective as change-makers. Our team has a combined 100 years of experience working in the field of philanthropy.

We work with foundations (large and small staff teams), donor advised fund holders, multi generational families, individuals, philanthropy supporting organizations and corporations to design philanthropic strategies. We work with philanthropies that grant $1 million to $40 million annually. Our clients span the Southeast with a concentration in Charleston, Atlanta and Charlotte.