A journey from traditional grantmaking to trust-based philanthropy

When I joined bi3, a philanthropic initiative to transform health in Greater Cincinnati, we operated as a traditional grantmaker. There were tedious reporting requirements, intense focus on measurable outcomes, and we put the onus on grantees to provide information available publicly. As I dove into the work, I realized we needed to work differently and emphasize partnerships, learning, and what we could do as a funder to achieve greater impact. To maximize our potential, our grantees needed to be our trusted partners. (author introduction)