By Rosemary Dunkle
I’ve participated in several Washington Women’s Foundation programs and committees over the years, but my favorite by far is the Grantee Engagement Team (GET).
What I love most about GET is that it allows us to stay in relationship with grantees long after the grantmaking process is complete. Anyone who has served on a grant committee knows how much time and care goes into reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and making difficult funding decisions. By the time a grant is awarded, you’ve spent hours learning about an organization and the people driving its work. Just when you feel like you’re beginning to understand their vision, the grantmaking process ends.
With GET, that’s where the relationship begins.
As a GET volunteer, I’ve had the opportunity to walk alongside grantees for three years after their grant is awarded. Through site visits, check-in calls, and informal conversations, I’ve learned that some of the most valuable support we can provide isn’t another report or evaluation. It’s listening, asking thoughtful questions, making connections, and showing up consistently.
That shift reflects a broader change in how many of us think about philanthropy. In the past, foundations often focused on measuring outcomes and assessing results. While accountability is still important, I’ve come to believe that real partnership starts with trust. The organizations we fund are closest to the challenges they’re addressing. They understand their communities, their opportunities, and their obstacles far better than we ever could from the outside.
Trust-based philanthropy asks us to move from evaluating to partnering. Instead of positioning ourselves as experts, we show up as learners and supporters. For me, that’s what makes GET so meaningful. The relationships are genuine, and they’re often as rewarding for volunteers as they are for grantees.
And like our grantees, we’re continuing to evolve.
In Spring 2025, the Foundation made a significant investment in communities across Washington by awarding 15 grants and welcoming a much larger cohort of grantees than usual. It was an exciting moment, but it also raised an important question: How could we continue providing meaningful, relationship-based support as our community of grantees grew?
That question led to the launch of Skills for Impact.
The idea is simple. Many WaWF members have expertise that could be incredibly valuable to a nonprofit, but they may not have the capacity for a long-term volunteer commitment. Skills for Impact creates focused, time-limited opportunities for members to share their talents with grantees who have a specific need.
What excites me about this program is the incredible range of knowledge within our membership. We have members who have spent careers in human resources, finance, communications, fundraising, technology, law, and countless other fields. We also have members whose lived experiences and community connections bring a different but equally valuable perspective. Together, that’s an extraordinary resource.
Imagine being able to spend a few hours helping a grantee refine a fundraising strategy, develop an employee handbook, strengthen a communications plan, or tackle a challenge that’s been sitting on the back burner for months. A relatively small investment of time can have a lasting impact on an organization’s capacity and effectiveness.
For volunteers, it’s an opportunity to contribute in a way that fits busy schedules while still creating meaningful value. For grantees, it’s access to practical support that might otherwise be out of reach. It’s a model that benefits everyone involved.
While Skills for Impact is new, the heart of GET remains the same. Our role is to listen, support, connect, and walk alongside our grantees. We trust the thoughtful grantmaking process that brought us together, and we trust the leaders doing this work every day in their communities.
At the end of the day, that’s what keeps me coming back to GET. Philanthropy is about more than making grants. It’s about building relationships, learning from one another, and investing in people who are creating positive change. The opportunity to be part of that journey is both a privilege and a reminder of what’s possible when we lead with trust.