Listening to Lead: How Grantee Advisory Groups Strengthen Your Grantmaking Strategy

What if the most powerful strategy tool in your grantmaking organization’s toolkit isn’t a new technology or a complex framework, but a simple act of listening? 

In a sector driven by impact, grantmakers are increasingly recognizing that the voices of their grantees hold the key to more effective, equitable, and responsive philanthropy. Yet, too often, grantee feedback is collected as an afterthought, or not at all.

Imagine a different approach where grantees are not just recipients of funding, but trusted advisors and co-creators of strategy and process. This is the promise of Grantee Advisory Groups, a model that moves beyond transactional relationships and invites authentic partnership. By creating structured spaces for open dialogue, foundations can uncover blind spots, build trust, and design funding strategies that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve.

In this blog, we’ll explore how The Imlay Foundation, guided by Grants Manager Angela Finley Hunter, put this idea into practice, transforming their grantmaking process and strengthening their impact. Whether you’re a seasoned grantmaker or just beginning to rethink your approach, the lessons from their journey offer a roadmap for building stronger, more collaborative relationships with your nonprofit partners.

Why Listening Is the Most Strategic Move You Can Make

Grantmaking organizations today are seeking ways to deepen trust, improve transparency, and ensure their funding strategies reflect the realities of those they aim to support. One powerful, and often underutilized tool is the Grantee Advisory Group. These groups, comprised of nonprofits who receive funding from your foundation, offer direct insight into what’s working, what’s not, and what’s needed next. They help grantmakers move beyond assumptions and into authentic partnership.

Angela Finley Hunter, Grants Manager of The Imlay Foundation, has seen firsthand how these groups can transform a foundation’s approach. “We didn’t just want feedback,” Angela shared. “We wanted to build a space where grantees could challenge our thinking, inform our processes and help us grow as a foundation. Their lived experience is one of our most valuable resources.”

What Is a Grantee Advisory Group and Why Does It Matter?

At its core, a Grantee Advisory Group is a structured forum where nonprofit partners can share their experiences, offer recommendations, and co-create solutions with funders. These groups vary in format—some meet quarterly, others annually, and others more informally. But the goal remains the same: to elevate grantee and potential grantee voices in decision-making and identify empathy gaps.

Angela’s team launched an informal advisory group in response to a growing desire for more equitablegrantmaking. “Launching our advisory group was a direct response to our commitment to equity,” Angela explained. “We realized that if we want to fund solutions that work, we need to co-create those solutions with the people closest to the challenges.”

We realized that if we want to fund solutions that work, we need to co-create those solutions with the people closest to the challenges.

Angela Finley Hunter
Grants Manager, The Imlay Foundation

Research supports this approach. According to the Center for Effective Philanthropy, foundations that actively solicit and act on grantee feedback are more likely to be seen as impactful and trustworthy. Advisory groups offer a formal mechanism for this feedback and a way to build long-term relationships rooted in mutual respect.

Angela’s Experience: Putting Grantee Advisory Groups into Practice

To bring this concept to life, Angela shared her firsthand experience of launching and sustaining a grantee advisory group. Her story offers practical insights into how foundations can move from theory to action and what it takes to build trust, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change.

Building the Group: Lessons from the Imlay Foundation

Angela’s team began by identifying a mix of grantees of varying sizes, different issue areas, and varied geographic reach. “We were intentional about inviting a diverse grantee mix of different sizes, missions, and communities,” Angela reflected. “This way we could hear a wide range of perspectives. That diversity is what makes the group’s feedback so powerful.”

Transitioning from selection to engagement, the foundation reached out to some of their grantees for an open dialogue regarding their grant process. “Transparency was key,” Angela explained. “Our strategic objective was to ensure our grantees and potential grantees had an effective grantmaking process. Building relationships with our grantees is very important to us. We asked grantees to respond candidly, even if it meant hearing things that were hard to hear. That honesty is what drives real improvement.”

We asked grantees to respond candidly, even if it means hearing things that were hard to hear. That honesty is what drives real improvement.

Angela Finley Hunter
Grants Manager, The Imlay Foundation

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Grantees appreciated the transparency and the opportunity to shape future funding strategies.

Angela emphasized that the success of the group hinged on active listening and follow-through.

“Active listening is just the beginning. The real work is following through and showing grantees that their input leads to action. That’s how you build trust and lasting partnership.”

Other foundations have seen similar success:

• The San Francisco Foundation reported that 94% of grantees felt comfortable approaching their grant lead with a problem, and 93% found grant terms and expectations clear.
• The Ford Foundation saw its highest-ever ratings for understanding grantee needs after implementing feedback-driven changes.
• Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies ranked in the top 1% for trust and bottom 1% for pressure to change priorities.

From Dialogue to Impact: What Foundations Can Learn

The Imlay Foundation’s experience offers several takeaways for other grantmakers considering a Grantee Advisory Group:

• Start with trust: Be clear about your intentions and open about your limitations. Not all recommendations or suggestions may be implemented. Grantees will engage more deeply when they feel safe and respected.
• Prioritize representation: Include voices from organizations of different sizes, missions, and communities. This ensures a fuller picture of the field.
• Invest in facilitation (if needed): A skilled facilitator can help navigate power dynamics and ensure all voices are heard.
• Close the loop: Share how feedback is being used. This builds credibility and encourages continued engagement.
• Make it ongoing: One-time sessions are helpful, but sustained dialogue creates lasting change.

“This process has transformed how we approach our work,” Angela reflected. “Our grantees are not just recipients; they’re partners. That shift has made us a stronger, more responsive foundation.”

How Your Grantmaking Organization Can Improve Grantee Feedback

If you’re a foundation leader, program officer, or grants manager, consider how you might incorporate grantee voices more intentionally. Whether through an advisory group, listening sessions, or surveys, the key is to create space for honest dialogue and to act on what you hear.

Angela’s advice? “Start small, stay humble, and be ready to learn. Advisory groups aren’t about getting validation; they’re about getting better. If you’re willing to listen and adapt, your strategy will be stronger for it.”

Grantee Advisory Groups are more than a feedback mechanism—they’re a catalyst for strategic growth, equity, and authentic partnership. By listening deeply and acting on what you hear, your foundation can build stronger bridges to impact.

A focus on equity and strong partnerships are qualities of modern grantmaking. To learn more about how organizations like yours are incorporating these and other modern grantmaking traits, check out the whitepaper, Qualities of a Modern Grantmaker.