Our sector is good at collecting data. How many people went through the training. How much food was distributed. Whether jobs were created. What we’re less good at is asking the people we serve: how could we make this better for you? And how could we optimize services to increase engagement and outcomes? Because clients…
What started as a simple question: ‘what happens when nonprofits actually listen to the people they serve?’ has grown into something we’re really proud of: 1,250+ organizations, 145 funders engaged, and meaningful change happening within the first nine months for 86% of the organizations we work with. None of this exists without Fund for Shared…
Originally published by Listen to Community Editor’s note: We’re proud to highlight a special issue of The Foundation Review, “The Power of Listening to Communities,” sponsored by our partner Fund for Shared Insight. This collection marks an important moment for the field, bringing together learnings about how community-centered listening practices have the power to reshape philanthropy…
Listen4Good helps organizations gather feedback from the people who matter most to their work. Each audience can give you valuable insights to strengthen your organization. Most organizations start by surveying the people they serve directly, then expand to other key stakeholders over time. The right starting point depends on your organization’s goals and context. Your…
At Listen4Good, we aim to walk the walk — here’s how we’re responding to feedback from participating organizations to make our programs and services as responsive as possible to their needs. What can we do better? In 2025, we made updates in response to participating organizations’ feedback: In 2026, we’ll continue to respond to feedback….
A Message From L4G’s Executive Director In the midst of a challenging year for the social sector, Listen4Good (L4G) was able to achieve many exciting milestones. Key Highlights for 2025: L4G experienced unprecedented growth in our participant base. In 2025, we had 464 active organizations compared to 410 in 2024 and 305 in 2023. Since 2016,…
Practical tips for leveraging your Listen4Good participation to boost credibility, demonstrate your responsiveness to community, and engage funders and donors Why Feedback Belongs in Fundraising and Communications You need to tell your story of impact. How better than to ground it in the words and perspectives of those you serve? Funders increasingly ask how organizations…
Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition
Published in The Foundation Review Volume 17, Issue 2 (2025) The Power of Listening to Communities By Valerie Threlfall In this paper, Listen4Good Founder and Executive Director Valerie Threlfall will detail approaches and tools for collaborative listening with funders and nonprofits, leveraging our experience at Listen4Good and the growing toolset we are developing for shared…
Our aim at Listen4Good is to give social sector organizations the tools and resources to listen and respond to their clients’ needs and experiences through high-quality, sustainable feedback loops. We believe high-quality feedback practices can provide an effective vehicle for getting actionable data to shape strategy, prioritization decisions and tell the story of your work….
Originally shared by the Center for High Impact Philanthropy – University of Pennsylvania High-impact philanthropy requires more than good intentions. It demands clear goals, continuous learning, and the discipline to make evidence-based decisions. Community feedback can be a key ingredient in supporting this practice. This blog, co-authored with Listen4Good (L4G), draws on their work supporting over 1,200 organizations…
Originally shared by The Kresge Foundation As a program officer, I’m always asking my team: how can we ensure our investments truly reflect the needs, requests and voices of the communities we aim to support? As the former executive director of a nonprofit focused on higher education access and success, I saw firsthand that while…
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