At Atlantic, sustainability means creating lasting institutional change. As a spend-down foundation, we believe one of our most important legacies will be a sustainable set of organisations with the proven ability to advance the cause of social justice.
For several years, we have helped to build the core capacities of many organisations we support. Our shared goal is that they remain strong and continue their important work for years to come on behalf of people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.
As we prepare to close our doors, we also know that significant involvement by government and other funders is necessary to sustain the fields we support. To that end, the foundation is committed to promoting and strengthening the field of philanthropy, particularly social justice philanthropy, in all of the regions where we work. We are also committed to increasing our relationships with government and peer funders to help ensure that our grantees’ work continues after we cease grantmaking.
To advance the cause of social justice, it is our intention to strengthen key institutions and movements in our focus areas by:
- Providing core support grants over multiple funding cycles, which enable organisations to develop and mature. We believe core funding will enable these institutions to continue to fulfill their mission and carry on their work for the communities they serve
- Connecting community-based organisations to local and national intermediaries so that these groups can collaborate and learn from one another
- Convening grantees that are working in similar areas to share their experiences and best practices
- Supporting organisational development, such as strategic planning, board development, fundraising and succession planning
- Supporting leadership development, particularly among people who have traditionally been excluded from positions of power
- Funding research to give our fields’ leaders and institutions the data they need to do their jobs better
- Advocating for our grantees’ work by connecting them with other funders.
Finally, we are aware that there is no guarantee of sustainability. For example, the economic crisis has taught us that external factors can have an overriding impact. It has prompted us to think more creatively about sustainability. We are continuing to work and think about how best to ensure lasting change in the programme areas and countries where we are active.
