Philanthropy Roundtable has consistently recognized the important role of public policy grantmaking in private philanthropy, and has worked to educate donors committed to promoting liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility on how to use public policy to move those values forward.
Our many publications in this area include our 2015 guidebook, “Agenda Setting,” which educates readers on the broad sweep of public policy grantmaking from the 1830s through the early 21st century, our 2022 policy primer, “Policy Philanthropy and Its Key Role in Civil Society,” “Investing in Ideas, Influencing Policy: A Guide to Think Tank Effectiveness” in 2023 and our most recent piece, “Beyond Charity: How Strategic Philanthropy Can Support Sound Public Policy” in May 2025
Drawing from all these sources and others, we have compiled our “Top Ten Tips for Policy Funders.” This list is certainly not exhaustive, and particular issues or political circumstances may demand different strategies and tactics. As with other grantmaking areas, policy donors can benefit greatly from the experience and knowledge of their peers.
We will present two sessions on this topic at our Annual Meeting this October, one featuring policy grantmakers and the other with leaders of policy-focused nonprofit organizations. We hope you will join us in Phoenix October 20-22. To register for our Annual Meeting, please contact [email protected].
TOP TEN TIPS FOR POLICY FUNDERS
- Master the issue that interests you – identify the best research and leaders in the field. Build relationships with existing experts and think tanks. Start the think tank you need if it doesn’t exist.
- Recognize that the core of your work is building awareness of the issue and educating others until you have sufficient support to move forward.
- Develop the intellectual argument by funding great thinkers and communicators.
- Frame the issue to capture wide support and work across partisan lines.
- Build the coalition needed for success:
- Identify supporters within the sector you are targeting (education, health, etc.).
- Identify grassroots supporters who can offer broad appeal.
- Build relationships with relevant legislators and regulators, identifying those who will be supportive.
- Develop a working group to engage with key supporters regularly.
- Consider funding litigation when other avenues fail to produce desired results, but be strategic in choosing cases.
- Fund public-interest law firms and help allied think tanks retain pro-bono attorneys to move your issue forward.
- Be patient – some issues will require a long-term investment of time and resources; position yourself to be ready when the time is right. Consider starting small, or perhaps at a local level. Demonstrated success here will open doors to a broader audience.
- If successful, continue support for implementation and develop increased talent in the field to support your success. Be prepared to use the tools you have developed to defend your cause from opponents.
