NCG's 2025 offering for communications professionals, Mobilizing for Narrative Change: A Philanthropic Learning Series will ground participants in a shared understanding of narrative power building developed by practitioners in the field.

Looking ahead, Philanthropy California is hosting a virtual funder briefing to assess the state of policy nearing the first 100 days of the new presidential administration. Regardless of who is in office, we must be prepared to engage with a different makeup of government that will bring unique sets of challenges and possibilities.

Who Holds the Mic? How can funders redesign reporting to better support learning and center grantee voices in reporting for impact. This session will dive into five years of data collection on reporting practices, examining emerging trends and practical pathways for change.

Participants will hear from funders and nonprofit leaders about their experiences moving away from extractive reporting models and toward collaborative, efficient, and learning-driven approaches. We’ll explore the intersection of reporting, AI tools, and continuous improvement, offering tangible strategies to reshape grantmaking for impact.

As we face the current federal political regime, and deal with the havoc being inflicted from the top down, philanthropy is in a unique position to support our nonprofit partners working tirelessly to serve communities, protect progressive public policies and programs, and stave off the harmful repercussions of administrative and congressional actions. Last year, we saw a clear attempt to stifle political dissent through federal legislation that would have granted the executive branch power to dismantle any organization it deems as a “terrorist supporting” organization. While HR 9495 did not pass the Senate, the proposal was a chilling harbinger of what we can anticipate in the future, and sounded the alarm for how we must collectively respond

Change starts from within. But where do you begin?

This final session will equip philanthropy professionals with practical tools to initiate reporting reform in their organizations. We’ll discuss how to identify key entry points for change, engage internal champions, and build momentum for a shift toward learning-centered reporting.

Traditional grant reporting often prioritizes compliance over impact, leaving little room for shared learning between funders and nonprofits. How can funders move beyond transactional reporting toward a more meaningful, equity-centered approach?

This session will explore the role of change management in shifting reporting practices. We’ll discuss the role of senior leadership, fostering cross-team collaboration, and centering nonprofit perspectives can help drive systemic change. Through real-world case studies and interactive discussion, participants will gain insights into the power of learning-driven reporting and leave with concrete strategies for advancing this shift within their organizations.