From Feedback to Impact: 6 Steps to Collect and Apply Grantee Feedback

Grantee feedback is a powerful tool for strengthening relationships, streamlining grantmaking processes, and driving greater impact. Collecting and using it effectively takes intentionality, transparency, and a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement.

Drawing from the insights shared during GivingData’s webinar How to Request, Understand, and Apply Grantee Feedback, here are six practical steps that foundations can take to build strong, meaningful, actionable, and trust-based feedback loops with grantees.

1. Start with an Open Mind

Foundations may hesitate to ask for feedback because they fear negative responses or worry about how to handle constructive criticism. However, as Mary Kadzielski of Philanthropy.io points out, feedback is an opportunity for growth. When foundations approach feedback with a mindset of humility and openness, they create space for honest dialogue that fosters trust and continuous improvement.

Roberto Cremonini of GivingData emphasizes a powerful quote from Brené Brown: “Feedback is a function of respect. When we don’t care about someone, we don’t offer them feedback.” Seeking grantee input is not just about improving processes; it is about demonstrating a commitment to trust and collaboration.

2. Identify Your Goals and How You Will Use Feedback

Before requesting feedback, get clear about the feedback you want and how you will use it. Three questions to ask:

• What do we hope to learn?
• How will we use the feedback?
• What aspects of our grantmaking process are within our control to change?

For example, Siegel Family Endowment integrates feedback collection into its core values of learning, sharing, and iterating. Kyla Kasharian, Siegel Family Endowment’s Senior Associate for Knowledge and Impact, shares, “At the core of our values are connection and collaboration—and neither is possible without feedback.” By aligning their feedback mechanisms with their values, the foundation ensures that grantee input informs meaningful action. 

Referring back to the Brené Brown quote, one way to demonstrate respect is to ensure that when you are asking grantees for feedback, it is respectful of their time.

3. Build Feedback Collection into Regular Grantmaking Activities

Collecting grantee feedback does not have to be an overwhelming task or a formal initiative. Foundations can incorporate it into existing processes and touch points. Alternatively, foundations can create committees and conduct regular surveys. Some approaches include:

• Check-in Meetings: Program officers can ask a few targeted feedback questions during regular grantee conversations. These don’t need to be formal check-ins and can just be wrapped into ongoing conversations.
• Surveys: Short, structured surveys at key grant milestones (e.g., application submission, grant midpoint, and post-grant) can provide ongoing insights. Surveys can also be used as a more formal feedback mechanism.
• Advisory Committees: Establishing a small group of grantees to provide input can offer deeper qualitative insights.
  
  

Siegel Family Endowment incorporates feedback collection into their grantee check-ins to ensure that program officers gather insights on an ongoing basis and make adjustments as the grant progresses, rather than waiting for the next cycle of grants. They also worked with a consultant to conduct an annual survey of all active grantees to assess trends and broader themes.

4. Balance Anonymity and Accountability

Some foundations struggle with whether feedback should be anonymous or attributed. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but best practices suggest a combination of the two produce the best results. Anonymous surveys encourage candor, while direct, attributed feedback allows for follow-up conversations and deeper problem-solving.

At Siegel Family Endowment, the grants team engages in direct feedback conversations, but they also utilize an external consultant to conduct optional one-on-one interviews that are then anonymized and put into aggregate trends.  In addition to the anonymous feedback method, the foundation values the two-way accountability that named feedback provides, which allows them to follow up and address concerns directly.

5. Close the Loop: Communicate and Act on Feedback

One of the most crucial—and often overlooked—steps in the feedback process is closing the loop. If foundations ask for input but fail to acknowledge or act on it, it can often feel like a waste of time for both foundation staff and grantees and even degrade trust in the relationships To close the loop, consider these strategies:

• Aggregate and analyze feedback: Identify trends and prioritize action items.
• Host internal reflection sessions: Engage staff in reviewing feedback and determining next steps.
• Follow up with grantees: Share specific changes made in response to their feedback.

Siegel Family Endowment exemplifies this best practice through their annual You Spoke, We Listened report, which outlines trends in grantee feedback and details the foundation’s corresponding actions. As Kyla shared, “We want to show our grantees that their input leads to real change.”

6. Iterate and Improve Over Time

Soliciting and applying grantee feedback is not a one-time initiative; it’s an ongoing process that should evolve based on what works best for each foundation. Start small and scale up as needed.

Siegel Family Endowment’s journey started with informal conversations and has since expanded into a multi-tiered feedback system. By prioritizing iteration, they ensure that their approach remains effective and responsive to both grantee and organizational needs.

Embrace Feedback as a Pathway to Trust and Impact

Grantee feedback is not just a checkbox, it’s a powerful tool for strengthening relationships, improving processes, and enhancing philanthropic impact. By adopting a growth mindset, embedding feedback into existing workflows, balancing anonymity with accountability, and actively closing the loop, foundations can deepen trust-based engagement with their grantees.

When foundations listen to and act on feedback, they foster a culture of continuous learning, shared responsibility, and deeper impact in the communities they serve.

For foundations looking to start or refine their grantee feedback practices, the message is clear: Start with a plan, start where you can, and act on it to use feedback as a catalyst for positive change.