How Funders Can Define Their Appetite for Risk

Every funder has some tolerance for risk in their grantmaking, but not all have made that tolerance explicit or brought their board along in defining it. That ambiguity can slow decision-making, create friction with grantees, and leave staff guessing at what leadership will actually support. This roundtable gives private foundations and corporate funders a space to discuss how to have that conversation internally, formalize a point of view, and use it to make faster, more confident grant making decisions. Come prepared to share how your own institution approaches this question and learn how peers are navigating similar territory. NationSwell's Virtual Roundtables and Braintrusts are built for members who are actively working on the issue at hand — including senior leaders, practitioners, and subject-matter experts — making them our most accessible format. The bar for the room isn't seniority; it's engagement with the topic. Registration may involve a brief approval step to ensure the conversation stays high-quality.