Inside Philanthropy recently featured the Zellerbach Family Foundation in an article about how we’ve evolved our grantmaking to better support our community partners. The piece explores our shift from traditional outcomes-based evaluation to our “Learning Agenda” approach, our move to providing the vast majority of grants as general operating support, and our efforts to design processes around grantee needs rather than foundation convenience. Author Mike Scutari highlights how these trust-based practices grew out of genuine partnership with Bay Area organizations, and how this flexible approach helps nonprofits navigate today’s challenging funding landscape.
How the Zellerbach Family Foundation Transformed Its Giving to Better Support Grantees
May 28, 2025
