Harnisch Foundation

ABOUT THE HARNISCH FOUNDATION WE BELIEVE IN A FAIRER WORLD THAT WORKS BETTER FOR EVERYONE, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION ON GENDER AND RACIAL EQUITY. When the Harnisch Foundation was created in 1998, our grantmaking budget was tiny, we wrote the checks by hand, and we measured our impact through the stories of individuals who’d benefited from the grants. As our budget expanded, so did our vision. We began investing in larger strategic projects aimed at creating a fairer world that works better for everyone, with special attention on gender and racial equity. We chose three ways to fund visionary social change work: - LEADERSHIP We invest in leadership development, including our signature Funny Girls™ curriculum. - STORYTELLING We invest in creative storytelling, including changing the ratio of storytellers and stories to be more inclusive of women and other people of color. - CONVENINGS We know there’s no substitute for getting together in person, where relationships deepen and ideas flourish. Meetings are magnifiers. In the decades since our founding, we have set our sights on bigger visions, and some of our grants are bigger, but we still have a heart for the smaller grant that makes a huge difference. That’s why we’re the home of the Awesome Without Borders chapter of the Awesome Foundation. Giving $1000 every week to something awesome keeps us close to our beginnings. People tell us that from the beginning, our hallmarks have been: - Early investment in causes, leaders, new ideas - Willingness to make a fast decision - Getting the biggest possible bang for the buck - Connecting like-minds and making key introductions - Offering valuable coaching and guidance along with (or instead of) a grant - Shifting rapidly to acknowledge changing realities In our third decade, we’re committed to living up to what we’re known for, doing better where we can.