top of page


Our MERL Consulting: Surfacing Actionable Insights for Grantmakers
Meet the five specialists behind the strategy and see how the right mix of people + technology can transform your grantmaking impact.

Value Stream Consulting
Aug 125 min read


Do Internships Still Make Sense in a Remote-First World? Rebuilding Our Internship Program for a New Era of Work
Today’s graduates have spent a large part of their education isolated behind screens.

Value Stream Consulting
Jul 303 min read


Size Matters: Why Small Firms Make the Biggest Impact for Grantmakers
We're talking about consulting firms, and more specifically, why smaller ones often outperform the giants when it comes to helping grantmaking organizations implement and maintain their process and technology.

Value Stream Consulting
Jul 165 min read


Dusting Off MERL: How a Proven Framework is Getting a Modern Upgrade to Drive Impact at the Initiative Level
For decades, international development and humanitarian programs have relied on rigorous methods to track their effectiveness, and MERL,...

Value Stream Consulting
Jun 303 min read


Transforming Stories Into Strategy: How Narrative Data Powers Initiative-Level Impact
For most grantmakers, traditional reporting provides metrics that answer questions like: “How many people were served?” “How much funding...

Value Stream Consulting
Jun 173 min read


Still Trying to Measure Impact One Grant at a Time? Here’s Why That Doesn’t Work
In the past few articles, we’ve been exploring the strategic importance of initiatives , those often-missing links between mission and...

Value Stream Consulting
Jun 83 min read


From Systems to Solutions: Reducing Risk and Increasing Responsiveness in Grantmaking
Introduction: Why This Shift Matters For decades, the philanthropic sector has relied on Grant Management Systems (GMS) to handle the...

Value Stream Consulting
May 54 min read


Siloed Teams and Fragmented Tools Are Slowing Everyone Down
How Initiative Management Transforms Grantmaking Operations and Powers the Foundation Management System (FMS) In More Than Money: Why...

Value Stream Consulting
Apr 275 min read


More Than Money: Why Foundations Must Sell Impact, Not Features
This piece is the first in that follow-up series, focusing on how foundations can move beyond funding and make their impact visible, measurable, and meaningful.

Value Stream Consulting
Apr 172 min read


Time for a Recalibration: Why Grantmaking Foundations Are Stuck, and What Needs to Change
Over the past few months, I’ve shared several posts exploring the deeper process and technology challenges facing grantmaking foundations.
This article brings those threads together.

Value Stream Consulting
Apr 134 min read


How Grantmaking Foundations Create, Manage, and Measure Value
How Grantmaking Foundations Create, Manage, and Measure Value

Value Stream Consulting
Mar 305 min read


AI Agents in Grantmaking: Are You Innovating—Or Just Paving the Cow Path? (Part 2)
Image Created by AI This is Part 2 in a series exploring how the seemingly intuitive path—automating familiar processes with AI—may not...

Value Stream Consulting
Mar 242 min read


Is the Label "Grant Management System" Causing Us to Miss the Target?
For years, we've watched as Grant Management Systems (GMS) have remained largely stagnant.

Value Stream Consulting
Feb 213 min read


The Hidden Risks of Agentic AI
Poorly trained AI doesn’t just make mistakes—it scales them at an alarming rate.

Value Stream Consulting
Feb 62 min read


Are Your Consultants Taxi Drivers or Tour Guides?
Let’s explore the difference between being a "taxi driver" and a "tour guide" in consulting.

Value Stream Consulting
Jan 142 min read


The Perils of Progress: A Blacksmith's Warning Against the Automobile (satire about Artificial Intelligence)
The Perils of Progress, a satire about Artificial Intelligence: A Blacksmith's Warning Against the Automobile. A Historical Opinion - by A.I

Value Stream Consulting
Dec 7, 20242 min read


Understanding the Distinctive Culture of Small-Staffed Family Foundations in Philanthropy
Embracing this joy can foster a sense of personal fulfillment and purpose that’s unique to family philanthropy.
John Licata
Nov 20, 20244 min read


How Grantmaking Foundations Can Benefit from Email Marketing: Building Engagement, Influence, and Impact
While grantmaking foundations may not use email marketing for fundraising, tools like MailChimp can be invaluable for building relationships

Value Stream Consulting
Nov 13, 20244 min read


Why this isn't in your kitchen? An Open Letter to the Value Stream Consulting Team
I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts on this exciting transition and the incredible opportunities ahead.
John Licata
Nov 7, 20243 min read


Why Foundations Benefit from “Best of Breed” Systems: Embracing Siloed, Interconnected Solutions
For most grantmaking foundations, three essential silos drive mission achievement: Grantmaking, CRM (Constituent Relationship...

Value Stream Consulting
Oct 30, 20244 min read
bottom of page