engagement

Funding your ELEVATE

Cohort Engagement

Organizations engaged in ELEVATE’s cohort learning experiences provide funding toward sustaining the learning community.

BROWSE THE FAQS

Annual Grantmaking

Tier 1: Under $5M

Blueprint

Practice

$7,500 / program year

$6,000 / program year

The amounts above are per program year. Both cohorts are 22-month experiences spanning two program years: February–December 2027 and January–November 2028.

< Tier 4

Tier 2 >

Annual Grantmaking

Tier 2: $5M–$19.9M

Blueprint

Practice

$15,000 / program year

$12,500 / program year

The amounts above are per program year. Both cohorts are 22-month experiences spanning two program years: February–December 2027 and January–November 2028.

< Tier 1

Tier 3 >

Annual Grantmaking

Tier 3: $20M–$99.9M

Blueprint

Practice

$25,000 / program year

$20,000 / program year

The amounts above are per program year. Both cohorts are 22-month experiences spanning two program years: February–December 2027 and January–November 2028.

< Tier 2

Tier 4 >

Annual Grantmaking

Tier 4: $100M+

Blueprint

Practice

$40,000 / program year

$30,000 / program year

The amounts above are per program year. Both cohorts are 22-month experiences spanning two program years: February–December 2027 and January–November 2028.

< Tier 3

Tier 1 >

Cohort Engagement

Organizations engaged in ELEVATE’s cohort learning experiences provide funding toward sustaining the learning community.

Blueprint

Annual Grantmaking

Practice

$30,000 / program year

Tier 4: $100M+

$40,000 / program year

$6,000 / program year

Tier 1: Under $5M

$7,500 / program year

$12,500 / program year

Tier 2: $5M–$19.9M

$15,000 / program year

$20,000 / program year

Tier 3: $20M–$99.9M

$25,000 / program year

BROWSE THE FAQS

The amounts above are per program year. Both cohorts are 22-month experiences spanning two program years: February–December 2027 and January–November 2028.

Not joining a cohort but still want to support?

Organizations can support ELEVATE’s broader field-building work whether or not they join a cohort. Contributions help expand access to learning opportunities, share useful knowledge, and create resources and convenings that strengthen place-based evaluation and learning across philanthropy.

Field-Building Contributors may give at any level, and organizations can combine cohort participation with broader support.

Field-Building Support

EXPLORE WAYS TO INVEST

Have questions about how funding could work for your organization?

We know foundations have different funding and procurement requirements. Share your interest in ELEVATE and we can talk through your organization’s needs and what might work best.

Share your interest

Frequently Asked Questions

How are funding levels determined? +

Funding levels for Blueprint and Practice are based on your organization’s annual budget. ELEVATE uses four organizational budget tiers, ranging from under $5 million to $100 million or more. Your organization’s funding level is confirmed following selection.

Why does ELEVATE use graduated funding levels? +

Foundations working in place-based philanthropy vary considerably in budget size. Our graduated structure allows organizations with different levels of resources to engage in the same learning community while collectively supporting the quality and sustainability of ELEVATE’s work.

Does our funding level change our cohort experience? +

No. Organizations within the same cohort receive the same core cohort experience regardless of their funding level. The graduated structure reflects differences in organizational budget size, not different levels of programming or support.

Are the amounts shown for the full 22-month experience? +

No. The amounts shown are the funding level for each program year. The 22-month experience spans two program years: February–December in Year 1 and January–November in Year 2. The applicable funding amount is provided in each program year.

What if our organization has specific requirements for how it can provide funding? +

We know organizations have different procurement, contracting, grantmaking, and other institutional requirements. The ELEVATE application asks about these requirements, and we work with selected organizations individually to determine an appropriate funding arrangement.

Can ELEVATE accept grants? +

Yes. ELEVATE has a fiscally sponsored charitable initiative that allows us to accept grants for eligible charitable and field-building purposes. Fiscal sponsorship provides a nonprofit home for this work, including efforts to expand access to learning opportunities and share learning with the broader field. Because foundations have different funding requirements and grants must align with the purposes and requirements of the fiscally sponsored initiative, grant arrangements are considered individually.

Cohort ParticipationELEVATE Field-Building

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What is an ELEVATE Field-Building Contributor? +

Field-Building Contributors provide broader support for work that strengthens place-based evaluation and learning beyond any one organization’s engagement. This support may help expand access to learning opportunities, bring more organizations and perspectives into shared learning, support field-wide events and convenings, capture and synthesize insights across the field, and develop public resources that share generalizable knowledge.

Is there a set funding amount for Field-Building Contributors? +

No. Field-building support is not tied to a fixed funding amount. Organizations may provide funding at a level that reflects their interests and desired investment in strengthening the field.

Can our organization engage in Blueprint or Practice and also be a Field-Building Contributor? +

Yes. Some organizations may engage in ELEVATE’s learning community while also investing more broadly in ELEVATE’s field-building work. We work with organizations individually to determine an appropriate structure based on their goals and institutional funding requirements.

Cohort ParticipationELEVATE Field-Building

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