Key Skills — Catalytic Philanthropy Self-Assessment

The Stem

Building Deep Community Skills

Developing your catalytic leadership skills is an iterative process. But taking the time to build these skills can be transformative for both your foundation and its grantee partners.

"The key skills of Catalytic Philanthropy allow funders to build a dimensioned, nuanced understanding of the work. In our case, it has allowed us to develop a mature understanding of the changing landscape in which we fund and develop relationships in a way that makes the effort one that is mutually fulfilling between funders and grantees rather than a transactional approach."

— John Richardson, Blackstone Ranch Institute

Reflection Prompts

Take time to reflect on these prompts and develop these leadership skills as you work to build and refine them:

Listen Deeply

When we listen deeply and humbly to those we serve, we can learn about their true needs and how we can partner most effectively to create meaningful change. Listening deeply takes curiosity, humility, and being fully present. Ask yourself:

When and in what capacity have you engaged in deep listening?
When you engage in deep listening, what was it like? What did you learn?

Build Strong Relationships

Relationships are at the core of social change. Lean funders are perfectly positioned to develop these relationships and provide significant support to their nonprofit partners. Keep in mind that relationships take continual effort. Ask yourself:

How can I show up to support grantees financially and with nongrant strategies?
Are there relationships in which I need to invest more time and energy?

Scan the Landscape

Deep listening and strong relationships put catalytic leaders in a prime position to scan the landscape. This can help you identify gaps in services, leverage points for initiating change, and find creative solutions to complex problems. But identifying these opportunities won’t happen without intentional action. Ask yourself:

When was the last time you formally scanned the landscape of your focus area?
What opportunities could you identify if you applied a beginner’s mindset to your scanning?

As you progress on your catalytic journey, these key skills will continue to pay dividends if you invest the time and effort to refine them. Like any skill, they will atrophy if left by the wayside — or they can continue to grow with practice and effort.

Begin the Conversation

Ask key decision makers: Who in our community do we listen to most? Whose voices are missing from our decisions?
Schedule a listening session with three to five grantees — with no agenda other than to ask, "What do you need?"
Map your current relationships: who do you know well, and where are the gaps?

Deepen Your Knowledge

The 2026 FOMR found that 76% of foundations maintain authentic community relationships — read the full Key Skills section in Catalytic Philanthropy in 2026 for benchmarks and context.
Attend an Exponent Philanthropy program focused on relationship-building and community engagement.
Use the Member Directory to connect with funders who have invested deeply in landscape scanning.

From the Blog

Oct 3, 2025

Catalytic Philanthropy Skills: A Case Study of Relationship-Driven Change

Strong relationships are at the heart of catalytic grantmaking. This case study explores how one lean funder leveraged deep community knowledge and authentic partnerships to generate far greater impact than their grant dollars alone could achieve.

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Oct 21, 2025

Reflections on Participatory Grantmaking from a Retiring Executive Director

After decades of philanthropic leadership, one executive director reflects on the shift to participatory grantmaking — sharing what it takes to truly center community voices in funding decisions and what she wishes she’d done sooner.

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