Learning From Partners: Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Grantee-Focused Approach to Continuous Improvement

“We think through what we’re doing, but we also know that nothing is ever perfect. We’re not trying to create perfection. We’re just trying to improve all the time.” – Kirsty Gillan-Thomas, Head of Evidence and Learning, Paul Hamlyn Foundation

This post is the first of a three-part blog series that builds on the findings of a recent Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) publication, “Partnering for Progress: Grantee Recommendations for Europe-Based Funders.” The report examines grantees’ perceptions of and recommendations for their funders who are based in Europe and finds that three main issues are top of mind for them:

• They are asking for their funders to invest in building deeper relationships with them.
• They report that in many cases application and reporting processes by their European funders are burdensome and they call for further streamlining and simplification.
• They praise the benefits of flexible and unrestricted funding as well as funders’ useful assistance beyond the grant, and are asking for more support of this kind.

In this blog series, we are sharing three profiles of funders who are amongst the higher rated Europe-based funders in CEP’s Grantee Perception Report dataset and who have been implementing approaches and practices that directly address some or all of the three above-mentioned grantee suggestions.

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Paul Hamlyn Foundation has a long-standing commitment to listening to grantees and declined applicants and acting on what it learns. Through formal and informal listening approaches, the Foundation’s staff seek to create feedback loops that, in the words of Head of Evidence and Learning Kirsty Gillan-Thomas, “carefully consider power dynamics” and “navigate them in a way that’s as thoughtful as possible and is going to give permission and space for the honesty needed in order to get the quality of feedback you need.”

Over time, Paul Hamlyn Foundation has used feedback from nonprofits¹ to improve in many areas of its work, with particular improvements in the helpfulness and streamlining of its application process. 

Highlighted Practice No. 1: Listening to Understand and Improve Nonprofit Experiences

Paul Hamlyn Foundation has commissioned CEP’s Grantee Perception Report and declined Applicant Perception Report three times over the last decade. It works hard to “make sure that people understand that the information they’re providing is going to be used and that there will be some change as a result,” says Gillan-Thomas.

This intention resonates with grantees like Nick Pilkington of London-based Refugee Legal Support: “We feel like we can be very honest and open with them, and that they appreciate [our] challenges and things like that … There’s an eagerness to learn from our experiences and our understanding of what’s happening in the sector — not dictate [to us].”

Over time, this nonprofit-centered approach has led Paul Hamlyn Foundation grantees to provide continually improving ratings in many areas, including the extent to which it understands grantees’ challenges.

Highlighted Practice No. 2: Streamlined and Helpful Application and Reporting Processes

Paul Hamlyn Foundation also stands out for having streamlined its application and reporting processes, while simultaneously increasing the helpfulness of those processes in strengthening nonprofits’ efforts funded by the Foundation. “We have tried to make the [application and reporting] process as efficient as we can. It’s something that we keep under review as well to make sure that we’re collecting detail that’s useful,” says Gillan-Thomas. This has included changes like tailoring the application process to each fund’s specificities, as well as carrying out most of the application through conversation instead of a written process for some of the ‘by invitation’ funds.

Simultaneously, when it comes to measures of the extent to which the selection and reporting process are helpful opportunities for strengthening funded work and for reflection and learning, Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s ratings are higher than more than three quarters of funders using CEP’s Grantee Perception Report.

Grantees recognize the value of the Foundation’s efforts. Liz Hughes, head of development at grantee Cambridge Junction, notes the value of “a two-stage application for multi-year commitments,” “personal contact” with “knowledgeable and supportive” program officers who show “more interest in qualitative data than many funders — allowing us to look at a wider set of criteria of impact.”

Pilkington, of grantee Refugee Legal Support, notes that some of his funders, have applications that “make things difficult for no reason.” In contrast, he appreciates that Paul Hamlyn Foundation is clearly trying “not to put unnecessary burden on the organizations that they work with,” avoiding “rigid forms … and ticking boxes,” ultimately resulting in a process that “feels like a productive, bigger conversation than just chasing us up and asking for outcomes.”

Natalia Kiryttopoulou is the lead, Global Assessment and Advisory Services, at CEP.

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About Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation works collaboratively with organizations and individuals who are working to build a just society. Their mission is to be an effective and independent funder, using all their resources to create opportunities and support social change. They partner with inspiring organizations and individuals to put them at the heart of leading change and designing solutions to overcome inequality.

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Geographic focus: United Kingdom and India

Note: Paul Hamlyn Foundation provided funding for CEP’s research. CEP’s decision to highlight its grantmaking practices was made prior to the receipt of funding, and the funding was not a factor in deciding to include this profile of the Foundation in this series.