Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice have become a core component of how the Scattergood Foundation supports community-based organizations. While grant funding provides critical resources, sustainable community change also depends on strong relationships, shared learning, and opportunities for leaders to connect, learn, and grow together.

As part of our participatory grantmaking initiatives, including the Community Fund for Immigrant Wellness and the Kensington Community Resilience Fund, Communities of Practice bring grantee organizations together to exchange practical strategies, strengthen leadership, foster collaboration, and build relationships that extend well beyond a grant period.

Our Communities of Practice recognize grantees as experts in their own communities. Rather than relying solely on outside technical assistance, we center lived experience as a source of knowledge and create space for peer learning, reflection, and collective problem-solving. In doing so, we strengthen both individual organizations and the networks that make communities more resilient. This reflects our broader approach to philanthropy: investing not only in organizations, but also in the relationships, trust, and collective capacity that enable communities to thrive.