We’ve developed a new multidimensional framework for infrastructure that delivers positive community outcomes and addresses the urgent challenges facing American society. In a new white paper drawing on experiences and insights from innovators in the public and private sectors, we explore how an ecosystem approach can help individuals and communities thrive.

In our ongoing “Context is Key” series, SFE's Executive Director Katy Knight explores the ways that different facets of context (from understanding the perspectives of the teams doing the work at a given organization, to the importance of building trust in funder-grantee relationships) inform our grantmaking strategy. We’ll share the questions and behaviors that we incorporate into our processes to make our understanding of context more actionable, effective, and impactful.

I’ve always told the team here that “context is key” when we are thinking about our work, and the “context” of the impact of institutionalized and systemic racism cannot be ignored. We are on a journey that is not without significant obstacles, but I also see it as an opportunity to grow together, support each other, and put our collective energy towards building the world we deserve.

Combating misinformation and ensuring information integrity will only continue to grow more urgent as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. SFE grantees are springing into action to strengthen the information ecosystem and to develop impactful strategies for preventing the spread of false information.

Being inquiry-driven means that we don’t think of ourselves as having all the answers. Meeting the challenges posed by the next stages of this crisis will require a lot of long-term thinking, and starting from a place of questioning. We think our question-driven approach is especially well suited to meeting that need.