Member Highlight: Mike Woodward on How Philanthropy Must Evolve to Meet the Moment
Get insights from GNOFN member and Education Action Table Co-Chair Mike Woodward, who serves as Regional Program Officer (U.S. South) at the Schott Foundation for Public Education.
Why is collaborative philanthropy like the Greater New Orleans Funders Network (GNOFN) so important?
Collaborative philanthropy allows funders to learn from each other and share best practices, rather than each funder operating in isolation. By working together, funders can mobilize collective resources to support larger-scale, systemic change efforts that individual funders may not be able to sustain alone. This approach also bridges divides between different stakeholder groups in a community that may not usually collaborate, fostering a more united approach to addressing pressing issues.
In your experience, how does collaborative funding play out in real life?
At GNOFN, we’ve successfully piloted the Rest and Rejuvenation grants, which provide wellness funds to nonprofit leaders across the Greater New Orleans area. This required a group of funders to come together to create a pooled fund that provides direct support to community leaders. We want to be able to give impactful, flexible, and unrestricted grants to nonprofit leaders to use however they need. In this case, it was only possible through collaborative funding.
Another example I often think about is my work at the Schott Foundation. North Carolina is one of our priority states; we observed the mounting attacks on public education, the legislative landscape, and the voting patterns shaping these critical decisions. Many philanthropic peers in North Carolina, whether in Raleigh, Asheville, or other parts of the state, were focused on funding local efforts. Without coordinated state action, local efforts risked being undermined by the state-level public education decisions. A win or loss at the state level meant every locality in North Carolina would feel its impact.
Recognizing the need for a statewide approach, we convened funders across North Carolina to pool resources and support statewide coalition work advocating for public education. This collective effort helped lay significant groundwork, with increased voter engagement and awareness of public education issues. The credit belongs to the coalition of dedicated organizers and advocates. Still, without local foundations committing resources to statewide efforts, the movement would have lacked the necessary support to make a meaningful difference.
There are a lot of urgent needs in communities across the country right now. How is philanthropy meeting the moment in 2025?
I don’t think we are.
Linetta Gilbert, who is a pillar of philanthropy, once told me, 'Philanthropy can do whatever it wants, as long as it’s not illegal.' That statement stuck with me. It reminds us that many of the constraints we operate under are self-imposed.
Many institutional practices, like lengthy application processes or excessive reporting requirements, are beginning to be examined. Philanthropy needs to take a hard look in the mirror. We must evaluate our internal policies and practices and ask why this is required. Does it serve grantees, or is it just institutional inertia? Are these requirements necessary, or are they just adding barriers for grantees?
If a policy isn’t necessary or beneficial, we need to eliminate it.
What role should philanthropy play in meeting the moment, particularly in the South?
We need to be more intentional about addressing systemic inequities. In my work, particularly in the South, I see governments failing to care for their people. And when the public sector doesn’t step up, communities turn to philanthropy to fill the gap. But even if every funder pooled resources, we still can’t match the scale of public sector support.
And on top of that, philanthropy has its own systemic issues to overcome. The Schott Foundation’s “Justice is the Foundation” report revealed that most racial equity and justice grants in K-12 are mostly distributed in the Northeast, while most K-12 students of color live in the South.
Now is the time for funders to reconsider what we invest in and where funding goes. Philanthropy can’t just treat symptoms; we must address the root causes. Because if we don’t, we’re just maintaining the status quo, not transforming it.
What strategies can funders use to be more responsive to community needs?
First, philanthropy needs to move faster. Funders need to increase the flexibility and speed of funding. Speed is crucial. Many foundations move at a pace that doesn’t match the urgency of community needs. For example, some foundations require board approval for all grants, and if boards meet quarterly, those funding decisions can take months.
If we’re serious about impact, we should ask: What’s the right threshold for staff to approve funding? Maybe it’s $10K, maybe it’s $50K. That answer will differ for every foundation, but the fewer hurdles required for the community and decision-making, the faster resources can arrive where needed. Empowering staff to deploy resources quickly can make a huge difference.
Secondly, when we talk about funding at the systems level, we need to be intentional about what that means explicitly for budgets. Shifting the balance of funding from direct services to systemic change efforts, including organizing, litigation, and communications, can build capacity for nonprofits to weather storms. If 100% of your funding goes to direct service, consider dedicating 10-20% or more to systemic change work. Incremental changes like that can add up significantly over time.
Finally, consider game-changing funding practices like durable capital investments – from unrestricted funding to multi-year grants to endowments. Schott Foundation’s EndowNow campaign amplifies these innovative funding practices and promotes long-term, sustainable resources to organizations driving critical work in communities and yielding impact.
Funders rely on grantees and community relationships to understand challenges and respond to them. How can we build more authentic relationships?
First and foremost, don’t ghost grantees. Even if you decide not to fund them, provide timely feedback and, if possible, recommend other potential funders that may be a better fit. And I think it’s important for funders to leverage our position to connect grantees to other resources and support beyond just funding. Relationships should be about more than just money.
I also believe funders should welcome and even encourage grantees to share their real challenges, not just their polished, public-facing narratives. Building authentic funding relationships requires open and honest conversations.
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Mike Woodward is an educator, mentor, and philanthropist. He is the Regional Program Officer (U.S. South) at the Schott Foundation for Public Education. In this role, he works closely with grantees and external stakeholders to cultivate and support effective campaigns focused on building systems that provide all students an opportunity to learn and thrive.
Mike comes to the Schott Foundation from College Track, where he served as the Site Director and the Regional Executive Director in New Orleans, and most recently, the Chief Program Officer, working to support twelve centers and more than 3,000 first-generation college students nationwide from 9th grade through bachelor’s degree and beyond.
Before College Track, Mike was a high school math teacher and department chair in New Orleans. Mike began his career in education as director of special projects at Urban League College Track.
Among his awards and acknowledgments, Mike has been selected as a Gates Millennium Scholar, a Ron Brown Scholar, an Emerging Philanthropist of New Orleans, and a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellow. He serves as a Trustee for Philanthropy Southeast, co-chairs the Education Action Table for the Greater New Orleans Funders Network (GNOFN), and as a board member for College Beyond. Mike holds an MPH with a concentration in Epidemiology from Tulane University and a BS in Bioengineering from Stanford University.
Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mike is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys playing basketball, tennis, and chess.
