What grantee-partners say about us - 2024
Since 2014, Mama Cash has partnered with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) to conduct our biennial Grantee Partner and Applicant Perception Survey. The 2024 results show that Mama Cash continues to perform exceptionally well, with grantees highlighting the high impact of our grants, the trust-based and feminist approach of our staff, and the clarity and low burden of our application and reporting processes. Grantees also value the additional support we provide beyond funding, including assistance with fundraising, communications, and convenings. Overall, Mama Cash ranks among the top funders globally for impact, transparency, and strong, supportive relationships.
The survey also identified areas for improvement. Feedback from declined applicants remains a challenge, with few receiving meaningful guidance and some reporting unclear reasons for why applications were not successful. High application volumes per staff member limit our ability to provide individualized support, and there is room to clarify eligibility, organizational fit, and likelihood of funding. Grantee engagement could also be strengthened through more in-person or virtual interactions throughout the grant cycle. Additionally, while we continue to provide multi-year funding, the proportion of grantees receiving it has decreased compared with previous years.
We are using the CEP data to further strengthen our processes and work. In particular, we are committed to being more transparent about our grantmaking criteria and the competitiveness of our core, long-term, flexible support portfolio, the Resilience Fund. We are implementing regional webinars for prospective applicants to clarify eligibility and application guidance. We are also continuing to make our reporting documents easier to use, more efficient, and streamlined, while evaluating and adapting reporting and auditing practices to ensure the information gathered from applicants and grantee partners is not unnecessarily duplicative, time-consuming, or complicated.
We are pleased to share the full report with you.
See full report here.