Working with bi3

The bi3 Fund was launched by Bethesda Inc. in 2010 to advance health equity and fuel innovation by investing in trust-based partnerships. Our vision is for all people in Greater Cincinnati to have a fair and just opportunity to achieve their best health.

Our values are:

• Respecting all people
• Valuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Living Our Legacy
• Building trust
• Being courageous

bi3 applies a Trust-Based Philanthropy approach, building trusted relationships with our funded partners grounded in power-sharing, transparency, mutual accountability, and continuous learning. A mutual commitment to transparent conversations and learning leads to greater impact.

Adopting a trust-based approach makes bi3 a more effective funder and fuels our ability to realize our vision when all people in Greater Cincinnati can achieve their best health. We welcome feedback as we continue to grow in our approach and processes.

We understand that projects shift and change as the work develops and are affected by the community context. We prioritize relationships and clear communication throughout the work. The timeframes for reporting are flexible and can be adjusted as needed.

bi3’s grantee partner process may include the following elements:  

1. Grant Agreement: Once the grant is awarded, the grantee partner and bi3 team work together to finalize a grant agreement. Grant agreements are reviewed and acknowledged via our grants management system, Foundant.
2. Onboarding Meeting: An initial meeting with the team to discuss our partnership and co-create our learning goals, timelines, work plan, and initial grant outcomes. Our Onboarding Document captures these and will be provided as a summary for the team after the onboarding meeting.
3. Work Plan: The Work Plan is intended to establish an initial operating plan for the project. The bi3 team is available to assist with developing the work plan if it is helpful.
   • The Work Plan document should include specific milestones and deliverables (with target dates) in the first year that tie to the goals submitted in the application.
   • The work plan does not have a required format. Below is a template that can be useful for the work plan.

4. Outcomes Chart: The outcomes chart is not a required format but an example of a simple way to communicate the key metrics and measures of success to help the bi3 team understand how you intend to progress toward grant outcomes.

We look forward to celebrating your accomplishments and supporting you through any challenges you may experience across the life of the grant. To facilitate our shared learning journey, we have a default reporting structure set up through our grants management system (see below).

• Learning Sessions: Regular conversations between grantee partner lead(s) and the bi3 team to discuss successes, challenges, key data/metrics, financial updates, learnings and any action items. The onboarding meeting will determine the frequency and cadence of these meetings.
• Annual Reports: For multi-year grants, annual reporting would include number of individuals served, demographics of individuals served, summary of successes/accomplishments of the past grant year, key learnings, impact of the work in the community (programmatic and systemic), updates of the outcomes chart, financial report, and sustainability plans.
• Final Report: Summary of overall grant successes/accomplishments, key learnings, the impact of the work in the community, indications of transformation, including overall number of individuals served, demographics of individuals served, final outcomes chart, financial report, resources leveraged, and sustainability plans. Typically, the report is submitted a month after the close of the grant period.

We are open to accepting reports from other funders that capture the information listed above and are flexible with the report format. Please contact us to discuss further.

bi3 constantly assesses our processes and reporting structures to ensure we are as efficient and streamlined as possible. We will revisit the report content with you before any due dates to ensure we are aligned on the content. If you have any concerns or questions about the report formats or timelines, please contact the bi3 team.

Our grants management system (Foundant) is where we keep track of the grants, including notes on our learning sessions, reporting, and payments.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Communication about your organization’s work can be a key tool in furthering an organization’s mission. The bi3 Fund is proud to promote its funded partnerships and collaborations and believes sharing news with the community can mutually benefit both organizations.

• bi3 typically announces new grant awards to local media, in our newsletter and on social channels.
• These announcements generally do not include detailed information on the project or initiative, so there is an opportunity for organizations to issue their own news release focused on their organization’s grant following bi3’s initial announcement. Please check with the bi3 Communications team on timing before announcing the grant for the first time.
• There is no mandate for organizations to communicate their grants externally.

If you choose to issue external communications, bi3 asks our grantee partners to acknowledge bi3 the first time a bi3-funded project/initiative is referenced.

• Example language includes:
  • “The (program) is made possible (in part) by a grant from the bi3 Fund.”
  •  “This program was fueled with a XX grant from the bi3 Fund.”
• When you need to include additional information about bi3 please use the following:
  • “The bi3 Fund is a grantmaker in health, leading to the day when every person has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”

Our bi3 Communications team requests the opportunity to provide feedback on any external press releases that include a quote from a bi3 team member.

Logo Usage:

• Grantee partners will receive electronic files of the bi3 logo. Don’t hesitate to contact the bi3 Communications team if you need a specific file, color, etc.

Social Media:

• Please stay in touch! We want to amplify and share your stories, pictures, learnings, reflections, and amazing work. You can send opportunities directly to the bi3 Communications team at communications@bi3.org or tag us at @bi3cincinnati.

Grant Features:

• From time to time, bi3 may ask to partner with you on a video, article, or other communications vehicle to showcase your work. We will work with you to determine what would be helpful to further your work and then leverage with bi3 audiences. There is no requirement for participation.

We encourage you to use our bi3 communications team as a resource if you have any questions. They are always happy to work with our grant partners to review any materials or answer questions when communicating about your bi3-funded program.

PARTNER COMMUNICATIONS:

Mobilize: The Mobilize platform allows bi3 and grantee partners to share real-time updates, resources, and news with each other. It’s also a tool to build connections and identify collaborative opportunities. You will receive an invite from Mobilize, and we encourage you to join this online community.

Team Emails: We are here to support you. In addition to your grant lead, the below team members are happy to help you navigate the process:

• If you need support scheduling meetings, please contact Executive Assistant Erin McDermott at erin_mcdermott@bi3.org.
• If you need help navigating the grants management system or Mobilize or have questions about a step in the process, please contact Marian Black at marian_Black@bi3.org.
• If you have a question about external grant communications, please contact the bi3 Communications team at communications@bi3.org.

Support beyond the check: We are invested in your success and want to be your partner and resource. Whether providing thought partnership, making a community connection, or uplifting your work via social media, we are excited to help support and amplify your work.

Payment Information: We typically issue payments quarterly, but there is flexibility if an alternate schedule of payments is helpful given the project budget.

Change in Scope: We understand that multi-year grants may experience shifts or unexpected changes over the life of the grant. We ask that you share any changes in timelines and outcomes so we can understand the factors impacting your work. Modifications involving significant changes in scope, strategy and/or resource allocation of a line item over $100,000 require bi3 Fund Committee approval and must first be discussed with staff during a Learning Session. The staff will help you determine when a formal request for a change in scope is required.

Major Challenges: Our learning sessions are where we discuss challenges and barriers. While we do not expect it, should the unexpected occur and the terms of the grant cannot be completed, we ask for full transparency and communication as we shift tactics to best support your success.

Feedback: Please let us know if you have ideas or suggestions for how we might help make your work easier or more effective as we want to continuously improve as your partner.