External Program Support

Rigorous Grantmaking
Doesn't Require a Large Team.

Clear Philanthropy works alongside foundations and philanthropic funders as an extension of your team — bringing the judgment, structure, and operational support your grantmaking deserves.

Let's Connect

No pitch. Just a conversation about your work.

Lakeview Community Foundation
Financial Assessment · FY 12/31/2024 · EIN 47-2918364
Health Score
82/100
Low Risk
High Confidence
📄 Audited Financial Statements · Form 990 (FY2024, FY2023)
Key Financial Ratios
Operating Margin
9.1%
Good
Current Ratio
2.14
Good
Months of Cash
3.8
Good
Debt to Assets
28.4%
Good
Program Expense
76.2%
Good
Fundraising Eff.
11.3%
Good
Rev. Concentration
44.8%
Moderate
Net Asset Ratio
0.41
Good
Financial Trends

Financial Health Indicators
Cash reserves exceed the 3-month minimum — solid liquidity position.
Operating margin improving three years consecutively.
Revenue concentration warrants further inquiry into donor base composition.
Recommendation
Invite to Apply
Lakeview Community Foundation demonstrates strong and improving financial health across all primary indicators. The organization closed FY2024 with total revenue of $4.2 million against expenses of $3.8 million, producing a surplus of $382,000 and a 9.1% operating margin — the third consecutive year of margin improvement...
The Reality

Most Foundations Are Making Serious Decisions With Very Little Support.

A foundation making half a million dollars in grants a year might have one staff person — or none. They care deeply about where their money goes. But between the relationships, the reporting, the board, and the day-to-day, there's rarely enough bandwidth to give every decision the rigor it deserves.

That's not a failure of intent. It's a resource problem. And it's exactly the kind of problem Clear Philanthropy was built to solve.

We work alongside funders as external program support — experienced, independent, and fully oriented around your vision and values. Not a vendor you manage. A partner who shows up.

"We're not a platform. We're not a report mill. We're the program capacity your foundation needs — built around your work."
What We Deliver

Every Engagement Produces Clear Answers.

Here's a look at what CP actually delivers — across the assessment, the portfolio view, and the report your team receives.

1
Portfolio Dashboard — Every org, at a glance
Organization Assessments
Financial health across your full grant portfolio
Total Orgs
8
assessed
Low Risk
6
organizations
Moderate Risk
2
organizations
High Risk
0
organizations
OrganizationScoreRisk LevelRecommendationReviewerDate
Harbor Light Mission
12/31/2024
95 /100
Low
Approved Clear Philanthropy 2026-06-14
Lakeview Community Foundation
12/31/2024
82 /100
Low
Invite to Apply Clear Philanthropy 2026-06-13
Westside Youth Alliance
06/30/2024
78 /100
Low
Invite to Apply Clear Philanthropy 2026-06-12
Northside Family Services
12/31/2023
74 /100
Moderate
Request More Info Clear Philanthropy 2026-06-11
Sunrise Education Initiative
06/30/2024
91 /100
Low
Full Due Diligence Clear Philanthropy 2026-06-10
Harbor Light Mission
12/31/2024
95/100
Low
ApprovedClear Philanthropy
Lakeview Community Foundation
12/31/2024
82/100
Low
Invite to ApplyClear Philanthropy
Westside Youth Alliance
06/30/2024
78/100
Low
Invite to ApplyClear Philanthropy
Northside Family Services
12/31/2023
74/100
Moderate
Request More InfoClear Philanthropy
Sunrise Education Initiative
06/30/2024
91/100
Low
Full Due DiligenceClear Philanthropy
What We Do

Support at Every Stage of the Giving Cycle.

Whether you need help at one moment or across the full arc of a grant relationship, CP brings the same rigor and care to every stage.

01
Organizational Assessment
A structured financial and organizational health review — scored, interpreted, and delivered as a clear, shareable summary that gives you confidence in your decision.
02
Proposal Review
Independent evaluation of grant applications against your funding priorities — with a plain-language summary of what the proposal shows and what questions it raises.
03
Strategy & Sourcing
Help clarifying what you're trying to fund, where to find the right organizations, and how to build a portfolio that reflects your values over time.
04
Decision & Board Support
The memos, materials, and preparation your board needs to move forward with confidence — from site visit reports to grant committee preparation.
05
Portfolio Management
Ongoing management of active grantee relationships — check-ins, reporting, renewals, and the continuity that turns a grant into a real partnership.
All of the above
The Full Cycle
For foundations that want CP fully embedded across the entire giving cycle — one partner, fully oriented around your work, from sourcing through closeout.
How We Engage

Start Anywhere. Grow From There.

Some relationships begin with a single assessment. Others grow into something much more ongoing. CP is built to meet you where you are.

One-Time
Start with one thing.
For funders who need support on a specific decision — or want to see how CP works before a longer engagement.
Organizational assessment
Grant portfolio review
Site visit report
Proposal evaluation
Cycle Support
A full grant cycle, end to end.
CP works alongside your team through one complete grantmaking cycle. Project-based, defined scope, clear deliverables.
Strategy & sourcing
Applicant screening & assessments
Decision memos & board prep
Defined timeline & deliverables
Embedded Support
Your program team, when you need one.
An ongoing monthly engagement where CP functions as an extension of your foundation — present, accountable, built around your values.
Full portfolio management
Grantee relationships & site visits
Board meeting participation
Sourcing through closeout
Who We Work With

Built for Funders With Lean Teams and High Standards.

You don't need a large program staff to give rigorously. You need the right support.

Private & Family Foundations
Small teams doing serious grantmaking — who want the rigor of a full program function without the overhead of building one in-house.
Corporate Giving Programs
Corporate philanthropy and community investment teams who want consistent, defensible grantmaking and the capacity to go deeper on key relationships.
Family Offices & DAF Advisors
Advisors who want to bring a higher standard of diligence and thoughtful counsel to their clients' philanthropic decisions.
Emerging Funders
New foundations and individual donors who want to build a rigorous, values-driven grantmaking practice from the very beginning.
Who We Are

We've Worked on Every Side of Philanthropy.

Clear Philanthropy is a team of professionals who have worked across the full spectrum of the philanthropic sector — with extensive grantmaking experience and equally deep roots in direct service delivery.

That combination matters. Our direct service background shapes how we show up with the organizations we work with. We understand the operational realities, the resource constraints, and the day-to-day pressures that define nonprofit life from the inside. When we sit down with a grantee, we meet them where they are. Because we've been there.

We represent your vision and values — not our own. We bring the judgment. You make the call.

Let's Talk

We'd Love to Learn About Your Work.

Every engagement starts with a conversation. Tell us about your foundation, what you're funding, and where you could use support — we'll go from there.

hello@clearphilanthropy.com

No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation.