• Those involved in the day-to-day grantmaking process of a foundation or corporation, or



• Trustees interested in learning more about foundation work.

Learn about the program

What do the program chapters offer?
What do subscribers receive besides the program?
How can I use this program?
How can I subscribe to the program?

What do the program chapters offer?

The Grantmaking Basics Online program offers eleven chapters which, include

• Welcome to the Working Week: Roles and Responsibilities, Obstacles and Opportunities in a Grantmaker's Life



• Panning for Gold: How to Review Grant Proposals



• Conducting Site Visits and Interviews: A Guide for Program Officers



• Numbers and Sense: Learning to Look at Nonprofit Finances



• Between You and Your Board: Decisions, Recommendations and the Art of Communications



• Getting Better All the Time: Cultivating Professional Skills throughout Your Career



• Ethics: How to Resolve Tough Decisions



• The Art of Convening: Working with Our Nonprofit Partners



• Values for Foundations: A Guide for Grantmakers



• Setting a Straight Course: Orienting New Staff to the Foundation and to Their Jobs



• Rewards of Research: The Continuing Education of an Effective Grantmaker

What do subscribers receive besides the program?

• Access to the online course for two years



• Complementary copy of Grantmaking Basics: A Field Guide for Funders



• Technical assistance

Council members and nonmembers are encouraged to use this site in the way that will benefit the user the most:

• Read it online,



• Review the chapters in order,



• Refer to the site as a desktop reference in your daily work, or



• Use this site as a stand-alone training program or in conjunction with existing employee and board member orientation programs – whatever works for you.

How can I subscribe to the program?

The Council on Foundations offers member and nonmember rates to Grantmaking Basics Online subscribers. Council members can sign up for the Mentor Program and receive one-on-one coaching from an experienced grantmaker.

To complete the subscription process, you will need your Council on Foundations individual profile user name and log-in password. Forgotten your login password? Request your password by email. Need to create a profile? Click here to create a new account.

Member Self-Study – $80
Grantmaking Basics Online Mentor Program – $125 (Council members only)
Nonmember Self-Study – $295

Please let us know how your foundation plans to use the Grantmaking Basics Online program.