We like to do things
a little differently.
Our funding philosophy may not be conventional, but Bob Kerr wasn’t either. Our approach is governed by a set of principles rooted in his values. We’d like to think he’d approve.
We’re not just chance givers. We’re chance takers. We’re drawn to innovation, but only if it’s backed by a proven track record or the demonstrable promise of one. If we like what we see, often we’re the first ones in.
Metrics matter to us, but we view them as just one part of a bigger picture, so we often look beyond them to the finer points of a charity’s goals and approach. We don’t let charities off the hook. We still ask tough questions. But we don’t just tick boxes. We like to explore the totality of their thinking.
Like Bob Kerr, we’re not fans of bureaucracy or waste. We figure leaders of charitable organizations have better things to do with their time than fill out byzantine grant applications, so we don’t make them jump through hoops. Check out our exquisitely simple application process here.
We see ourselves as more than short-term funders, so we don’t just write cheques. We find if we treat charities like family, try to understand their aspirations, and build relationships based on trust and accountability, they’re likelier to tell us if they’re struggling, and we’ll get to share ideas, mentor, troubleshoot, and better protect our investment.
We assume organizations are the experts on what they do every day, so we don’t tell them how to operate. We stay in touch, but if they’ve proven themselves, and done so again and again, we’re happy to inject capital and let them fly.