Listening Practice: Shifting from Compliance to Conversation—July Thought Leadership Discussion

Ray Borkman

Hello all!

Here are the July Webinar details!

I invite you to ask questions that you'd like answered here or in the webinar; as well as to share any experiences you have relevant to the subject! I'll be inviting the speakers to join us here in the discussion both leading up to the webinar as well as for a post-webinar Q/A.

The July Blackbaud Grantmaking Thought Leadership Webinar is:

Listening Practice: Shifting from Compliance to Conversation

Thurs., July 31 | 11 a.m. ET (Register now)

As nonprofits encounter growing pressures, many funders are rethinking their approaches to learning, reporting, and accountability. Across the sector, there is a surge of interest in alternatives to extractive practices. These new methods aim to build trust, ease the burden on organizations, and promote deeper, more meaningful interactions.

Grantmaking often limits communication to formal reports after awards, focusing primarily on compliance rather than connection. This session invites funders to expand dialogue early and sustain it throughout the relationship, from application and award to ongoing reporting.

Join Blanch Vance (Grove Foundation) and Rachel Kimber (Full Circle Impact Solutions) for a candid, field-informed webinar about conversational reviews and other relationship-based reporting approaches. Together, they’ll explore practical strategies and real-world examples of moving beyond transactional processes toward relationship-centered grantmaking.

What You’ll Gain:

• Ways to incorporate conversation throughout the grantee relationship
• Strategies to align internal teams to support cultural change
• Examples of funders leading with relationship-driven grantmaking

Blanch Vance

Thank you @Ray Borkman

Excited to join the July 31 webinar on Shifting from Compliance to Conversation with Rachel Kimber and Blackbaud!

Rachel and I have spent years challenging inequitable reporting practices, and recently co-authored this piece on the topic: Listening for the Beat of Change: Conversational Grantmaking Where Accountability Demands Listening
During our conversation, we will explore how funders are replacing extractive reporting with relational, trust-based approaches—and why this shift is urgent.

Looking forward to hearing from others:
– Have you tried conversational reviews?
– What shifts are happening in your org?

Let’s keep the dialogue going—drop your questions here or bring them to the session!

Thank you!

Blanch Vance