Organizational Effectiveness

To solve the world’s most pressing problems, nonprofit organizations need strong leadership and staff, effective operational systems, and healthy cultures. Yet present funding practices make it difficult to build these necessary structures. Multiyear general operating support is far from the norm, and most funders offer only restricted project grants that may not even cover full costs. As a result, it can be challenging for many nonprofits — especially those who have been historically overlooked — to invest in themselves and build strong, resilient organizations.

The Organizational Effectiveness program provides targeted support to existing Hewlett Foundation grantees to make their organizations stronger, enabling them to do their work better, adapt during times of change, and enhance their impact. These grants are a small slice of the foundation’s overall giving, but they help organizations’ leaders prioritize, justify, and support capacity strengthening projects that are a critical part of their work to ensure people and the planet thrive.

The goal of the Organizational Effectiveness program is to strengthen Hewlett Foundation grantees’ ability to adapt and thrive so that they can better achieve their missions. Organizational Effectiveness support can be used to strengthen capacity in areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; strategic planning; communications; wellness; leadership transitions; board development and governance; and financial planning.