PEAK Grantmaking Online Learning

Take an active role in evaluating your organization's current level of risk tolerance and create a plan for implementing change.

After completing this course, you'll be prepared to evaluate application requirements that are creating barriers to impact, as well as revise practices that are or may be introducing bias during the application process.

In addition, you'll be ready to formulate and implement mitigation strategies and contingency plans, and develop a process that incorporates grantee feedback in risk management policies and procedures.

Are you ready to learn answer these questions?

• How can we streamline our processes while being thoughtful about potential risks?
• How do our values show up in our policies and practices related to risk?
• How does a low tolerance for risk feed into practices that support bias in the grantmaking process?
• How can we have better conversations with our grantees about potential risks and mitigation or contingency plans?

Smart Risk Management for Greater Impact is self-paced, and can be completed over multiple sessions. Estimated time commitment for the four modules of the course is 90 minutes. Enrollment provides indefinite access to the course and its components. 

The course includes:

The use of scenarios and activities to help learners practice real-world applications of new concepts;
Resources from PEAK Grantmaking and Open Road Alliance; and
A certificate of completion to add to your professional development portfolio.

Who Should Attend

The course is designed for:

Professionals who want to increase their organization's appetite for risk
Grants managers interested in examining how their organization's risk profile is limiting grantmaking impact
Funders who want to use a risk management lens to implement grantmaking practices that reduce burden and eliminate bias
Those who want to add mitigation and contingency planning to their grantmaking process
Individuals who are looking to expand their strategy-related knowledge and responsibilities

What does the course look like? Take a peek.

Smart Risk Management for Greater Impact features four learning modules:

• Module 1: Evaluate Your Organization's Risk Tolerance
• Module 2: Remove Barriers--Application Process and Requirements
• Module 3: Manage Risk After Awarding a Grant
• Module 4: Review and Action Plan

After completing the course, learners will be able to:

• Examine their organization's values, policies and practices, and grantee requirements through a risk management lens
• Consider how to develop higher risk tolerance by shifting from a focus on compliance to a more holistic examination of the organization's appetite for risk
• Understand how low risk tolerance can promote bias in the grants management process and reduce impact
• Develop risk mitigation and contingency planning strategies
• Partner with grantees throughout the grantmaking lifecycle to assess risk pre-grant, monitor risk, and modify the grant if necessary