A nationally known private foundation came to us with a unique challenge: How could they take what they’ve learned from their grantees’ research and service delivery programs to influence better policy outcomes, without crossing the lobbying line for private foundations? The specific focus was on the experience of post-9/11 veterans and their families. Relative to the foundation’s total grantmaking budget, the amount they spent on this work was modest. The program officer recognized that to have a larger impact, engaging on the policy front was critical.

We teamed up with the program officer to develop a strategy to bring attention to what actually works to improve the lives of veterans. We centered all our work on the proven outcomes of the grantees, while strategically involving the program officer in key conversations to make her a trusted resource.