YOU WANT TO HELP CHANGE THE WORLD.
By getting money, resources, and support to organizations in need. To people and communities who have been marginalized.
We need talented people skilled at successfully managing programmatic vision, compliance requirements, and funding needs to ensure that vulnerable people are participating in and leading problem-solving conversations about themselves.
The PIVOT Program is where smart, intellectually curious, and solution-oriented grants officers and managers come together to learn from and with each other, increase their technical expertise in grant making and management, and expand their leadership.
Pivot: verb. a sudden, intentional change in direction.
Are you ready to PIVOT?
Your Problem
The philanthropy where you work is likely not your great-grand parents’ philanthropy anymore. The world as we knew it has changed and philanthropy has become more complex. Needs of grantees have become more nuanced and they exist in every corner of the world. Agile philanthropies need to skillfully navigate complex regulations governing U.S. grant making domestically and in many countries around the world.
And you want to help guide this skillful navigation. You are also starting to have questions that have questions and cannot find a dedicated group of grants officers and managers to talk to who really get it and productively challenge your thinking. You know the technical grant-making rules but are curious about what others are doing and how they are doing it. And you want to learn how to make your philanthropy’s grant making easier, how to better partner with your program teams, and how to share what you are learning with other grants officers and managers to level up their practice.
You want to raise the influence of your grants management team. And you want to learn how to better use your critical position within your philanthropy to effectively liaise with the various teams responsible for advancing your philanthropy’s grant making, including legal, financial, and programmatic teams, while balancing the important relationship and your interactions with grantees. You want to be able to influence more of the process and the conversation because you are in a crucial position to see nearly all of the pieces.
Enter The PIVOT Program.
Our Solution
The PIVOT Program is designed to prepare grants managers and officers to solve complex real-world grant-making issues and flex their critical leadership muscles within their philanthropies.
The PIVOT Program is an intimate community for grants officers and managers working in U.S. philanthropies.
Membership in the PIVOT Program is awarded only after a successful application and invitation.
We want you to become a PIVOT Member if you:
- Are in a role within a U.S. philanthropy where you are responsible for managing grant awards to organizations, individuals, or both; you probably have a title similar to grants officer or grants manager
- Have been in your grants management role for at least 3 years
- Have an interest in expanding your technical expertise in grant making
- Aspire to take on a leadership role within your philanthropy
- Want to be challenged by what you are learning
- Want more than a book club (we love book clubs, but PIVOT is no book club! You will be working on real-world and challenging issues to complement what you learn)
- Enjoy learning with smart, intellectually curious people
- Are coachable and open to learning new ways of thinking and practicing
IF THE POINTS ABOVE DESCRIBED YOU, PIVOT WAS MADE FOR YOU.
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CALL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PIVOT AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU EXCEL IN YOUR FOUNDATION.
What's in it for you:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the length of The PIVOT Program?
3 months.
I am not yet a grants officer or manager. I am in grants management, but I help the grants officers and managers execute their work. Is The PIVOT program right for me?
Not at this time. Currently, PIVOT only accepts individuals with grants management responsibilities. Usually, these individuals have titles such as Grants Officer or Grants Manager.
I work in a philanthropy, but it is not a U.S. philanthropy. Can I join PIVOT?
The technical information about grants management and grant making shared within PIVOT is focused on grant making by U.S. philanthropies, but there will be certain aspects of the program that can apply to all philanthropies. To figure out whether PIVOT is appropriate for you, please schedule a call to discuss your specific situation.
I am the grants manager in my philanthropy, but I also hold another title there. Is PIVOT right for me?
It may be. We will focus on the grants management portion of your role and help you increase your visibility within your philanthropy, given the critical role you play within grants management.
I do not particularly like to work with others, do not want to hear from philanthropy practitioners, and would much rather read the material instead of working on real grant-making problems and situations. Is PIVOT right for me?
No; no, it is not.
Investment:
Here is what is included in The PIVOT Program membership:
- Curated, intimate group of exceptional grants officers and managers (priceless)
- Solving your philanthropy’s real-world examples and issues (US$9,000)
- Learning from and with each other(US$5,000)
- Increasing technical expertise, deepening your professional network, and expanding your leadership and visibility (US$7,000)
- One-on-one coaching(US$10,000)
- Group trainings and individual office hours (US$6,000)
- Dedicated email feedback and support(US$3,000)
- Receiving exclusive insights from philanthropy and nonprofit leaders (US$7,000)
What the experts are saying...
Nic was a great resource for grant-makers and grants managers while at Open Society Foundations. She is very skilled at getting stakeholders around the table and seeing various perspectives on an issue. Her solutions on grant compliance questions often address not just the problem at hand, serving as durable precedents for how to handle recurring scenarios long-term.
— Joseph Behaylo
Director of Grants Management, Open Society Foundations
I worked with Nic for several years. She has broad and deep knowledge of the field of non-profit law and governance and is insightful and creative when it comes to finding solutions to organizational challenges. In addition to her diligence and expertise, she is always a pleasure to work with. Her diplomatic and respectful manner makes her ideal for bringing together stakeholders who may see themselves on opposite sides of an issue. I can’t recommend Nic enough!
— Eric Rosenheim-Patton
Director, Grants Management, Smile Train
I worked with Nic Campbell for 6 years while she was in the general counsel’s office at Open Society Foundations. I found her to have a remarkable ability to design and tailor training on U.S. philanthropy’s compliance regulations to a variety of stakeholders, including those on other continents. She was also an exceptional colleague in her work ethic and in her reliable guidance and support in helping staff trouble shoot and address complex legal issues with grantees. In addition, she is a warm, generous, and reliable colleague to work with!
— Erlin Ibreck
Regional Manager for Grant Making, Africa Regional Office, Open Society Foundations
Nicole has a unique ability to connect with staff at every level of the organization, and a track-record of philanthropic experience to immediately earn their trust. A year later, one of our executives still cites Nic’s engagement as a high point for opening up our teams to new ways of collaborating.
— Joel Beck-Coon
General Counsel, Humanity United
We worked with Nic and Build Up Advisory Group to assess our global grant-making processes. Nic identified the strengths and opportunities within our processes, and her assessment, analysis, and recommendations have positioned us to become an even stronger grant maker and support for our grantee partners. She provided practical, sound advice that showcased her global grant-making expertise, in-house counsel experience, and nonprofit tax expertise. She advised us on our use of our various funding vehicles and incorporated our strategy and values into her analysis to provide us with relevant and strategic advice. Nic served as our thought partner throughout the entire process. We are glad to call Build Up our partner and appreciate having Nic as our trusted advisor. We look forward to a continued relationship with Nic and Build Up Advisory Group.
— Anthony Noble
Vice President and CFO, Global Greengrants Fund, Inc.