How We Work

The Bainum Family Foundation is a private operating foundation, which means we work closely with our partner communities and organizations to create lasting impact in our area of interest: Early Childhood. 

Historically, philanthropy has wielded power more than it has yielded or shared it. We believe philanthropy serves communities best as a partner that listens, collaborates and supports. We call our approach co-creation. We follow the lead of our partner communities and organizations, coming alongside them to make change happen together. 

We believe this approach embodies trust-based philanthropy, upending traditional power dynamics and ensuring that resources are distributed more equitably. 

We acknowledge that there may be times when it makes sense for us to use our privilege and power on behalf of (and with the permission of) our partner communities and organizations. But these instances will be thoughtful exceptions rather than the accepted norm. 

We do not accept unsolicited proposals, nor do we use a request-for-proposal (RFP) process. Instead, we work closely with our partner communities and organizations to identify new potential partners best suited to help us jointly achieve our intended impact in a particular community.