Great Funder–Nonprofit Relationships: A Toolkit for Funders helps foundations build stronger, more equitable partnerships with nonprofit grantees. Developed by Exponent Philanthropy in partnership with the National Council of Nonprofits, the toolkit translates insights from funder–nonprofit convenings into practical guidance for improving day-to-day relationships.

Funders can use the self-diagnostic to assess their strengths across five core relationship hallmarks—mutual trust, humility, proactive communication, shared expertise, and tolerance for discomfort—and compare their practices with peer benchmarks. The guide then offers concrete tactics and real-world examples to help funders move from transactional interactions to more collaborative, trust-based partnerships.

Additional sections include actionable communication strategies, powerful question prompts, listening techniques, and curated resources to support continuous learning and relationship-building.