Service Areas
- Strategy and Research
Ktisis worked with a large institutional foundation that supports children, families, and communities with a particular focus on vulnerable children in key communities nationally and globally. Ktisis held multi-year contracts with this foundation since 2021, working closely with three key portfolios in the Office of the President.
We worked with the foundation in multiple capacities – as researchers, thought partners, strategists, and advisors. Our primary responsibility is to lift up the voice and perspective of nonprofits, grassroots organizations, activists, and community leaders that are on the frontlines of the complex issues they aim to address and bring insight into best practices in justice-based philanthropy that can advance their mission.
The nature of our work included conducting focus groups and one-on-one interviews with grantees and field leaders to gather insights, feedback, and recommendations at various stages of strategy development. We served as a sounding board to pressure-test ideas and strategies to ensure decisions are informed by those most proximate to the issues. Working closely with program staff, we co-developed integrated strategies centered on advancing racial equity and healing through philanthropy and provided input on strengthening partnerships, collaboration, and effectiveness across the social sector.
As one example of the work with this organization, a team from Ktisis recently shared some high-level research on the importance of investing in healing and wellness with the internal team, offering context, best practices, and specific recommendations for the field to support the sector. Some of the less contextual recommendations and resources were also shared in this public blog post. We facilitated conversations and supported the team to integrate additional practices into their grantmaking, as well as developed a few concrete ideas for longer-term implementation.
