Funding and Partnerships Guide

The purpose of this guide is to describe the Foundation’s approach to funding and partnerships

The McConnell Foundation receives hundreds of proposals each year and many people participate in due diligence and partnership development. The guide is used to create parameters for our staff to be consistent in our approach in order to help reduce bias, enhance equity, and ensure that we work cohesively to advance our vision and goals.

This guide begins with McConnell’s vision and mission and provides an overview of how we seek to achieve impact through our funding and partnerships. The guide also provides information on what types of funding partnerships we engage in, and what guidelines and assessment criteria staff members apply in reviewing proposals.

Our work as a funder continues to evolve. We aim to learn from our partners and others in the sector as we take steps to improve our practices and create clear communications for partners and potential partners as they navigate the application process.

We have created this external version of the guide in the spirit of transparency. By sharing this document, we hope to offer readers more information about our priorities and our funding process.