https://nitrogen.packard.org/default.aspx
Our Board of Trustees has asked program staff to explore the needs and opportunities for launching a grantmaking strategy designed to address the rapidly growing global problem of nitrogen pollution, in particular through efforts to reduce pollution associated with crop and livestock production. At its June 2007 meeting, the Board will decide whether or not to initiate such a grantmaking program.
Our Conservation and Science Program currently awards grants totaling approximately $45 million annually in the areas of coastal conservation, fisheries conservation, climate change, and science. If the Board decides to add an additional nitrogen/agriculture focus, the scale of investment in the new area is likely to be on the order of $5 million to $15 million per year.
A decision to establish a grantmaking program on nitrogen/agriculture will depend on whether the Foundation has developed a compelling grantmaking strategy, which details the goals, outcomes, strategies, and activities that it will pursue. It includes information that characterizes the risk associated with the approach (i.e., how likely is it that the grant investment will achieve the desired outcomes) and the time frame for the investment. The strategy seeks to address the question, What is the most effective way to spend the funds available in order to help solve this problem? The strategy can also identify how other assets can be brought to bear in solving the problem, including convening power and the use of program-related investments (low-interest loans).
Foundations regularly use grantmaking strategies to orient their philanthropic investments. These strategies are typically developed by foundation staff, by philanthropic intermediaries, or by consulting firms. Through this Wiki site, we would like to experiment with an alternative to these models for strategy development. We are concerned that the existing models for strategy development cast far too narrow a net in their search for creative solutions. They are unable to benefit from the wisdom, experience, and expertise present within civil society, private sector, and academic institutions. They lack the transparency and opportunity for critical review that could aid in their development and that could help grantees to determine whether they might play a role in implementing the strategy. And, they tend to reinforce networks involving individuals and institutions with existing relationships to the foundation without providing opportunities for the creation of new networks and partnerships between donors and possible grant recipients.
Through this Web site, http://nitrogen.packard.org, the Packard Foundation would like to bring the wisdom of crowds to bear on the development of a possible grantmaking strategy. Our hope is that this will help to improve the goals and elements of any such strategy, while also helping the Foundation to identify individuals, institutions, and projects that could play a role in carrying it out. If successful, we also believe that the Wiki site could help to inform the work of other organizations and the grantmaking strategies of other foundations.
We will make the full product of this Wiki site available to the Foundation's Trustees at their June Board meeting and staff will use the product of the site in developing a recommended strategy for the Trustees to consider. We are documenting this process and will prepare a review of the experience and recommendations that could inform similar efforts in the future. This report will be made available to the public on this Web site and http://nitrogen.packard.org. If the Trustees decide to initiate a grantmaking strategy in this area at their June meeting, plans for a program in reducing nitrogen pollution will also be available on this site.
