Ecocentricity Blog: Credit Where Credit is Due

No, we don’t get the credit. The Ray does. They have done the work (amazing work), and all the Foundation does is write the check.

Last week, I attended the Southeastern Council of Foundations Annual Meeting, a regional gathering of grantmakers of all types. It’s always a great event, primarily because of the network it offers, but also because of the two or three ideas I typically take away from the sessions or speakers. I heard a good one this year.

I was serving on a panel, and one of my fellow grantmaker panelists remarked on how often grantees and the public try to give foundations like ours credit for great projects and programs. This panelist makes a habit of clarifying, “No, we don’t get the credit. Our grantees do. They do the work, and all we do is write the check.”

I agree with this sentiment. Don’t get me wrong, I think that discerning grantmaking is important, and doing our job well requires identifying the right partners. Still, whenever I look at one of our grantees being successful, I realize how little we do compared to how much they do.

So it is with all of our partners, but it’s especially true with The Ray. Many of you are familiar with this initiative, but if you are not, this is a great time to learn about them. After all, The Ray just launched a new website, and I encourage each of you to spend some time on it. Be sure to bring your imagination with you, because they’re all about inventing the future.

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