HomeAbout BrinkOur offersOur workMeet the teamBrink FoundationBlogCareers

The psychology of next-century grantmaking 

>
Lea Simpson
April 6, 2025

Technological advances and a more connected world have brought tremendous improvements to our lives, but they've also introduced new risks and widened existing divides. For the first time, five transformative platforms—energy storage, gene editing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and robotics—are evolving simultaneously. Yet, despite this progress, only 15% of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track. At Brink we are captivated and infuriated by this paradox.

The world isn't slowing down, and the divide between those who have and have-not is set to widen unless we build an  alternative today.  If you’re reading this you’ve probably  been around long enough to remember the early dot com days, when new technologies promised to reshape our world, from smartphones to the rise of social media and cloud computing. 

Today, as platform monopolies dominate our digital lives, it's hard not to wonder, what if, instead of rushing to "move fast and break things," we had taken the time to move mindfully and build better systems? Could we have charted a more thoughtful path, one that prioritised equity and sustainability over speed and disruption?

Grantmaking that learns from the past can be a critical tool for a more equitable future, but only if it accounts for more than capital. 

Now is the time to start charting a more mindful path ahead. We believe that a two degree shift in our efforts today, could change our future trajectory. But even the most well-intended efforts won’t work if the relational and psychological aspects of our work  aren’t accounted for alongside the capital. 

  • Pursuing a localisation agenda in your work? The flow of capital to local players won’t matter if the power dynamics and red tape are designed to keep decision-making half a world away
  • Fighting for women to receive a fairer share of capital for their brilliance? This investment will fall short if these women aren’t empowered to respond to the realities of their day-to-day in the day-to-day
  • Educating children in Kathmandu so that they achieve (even a fraction of) the learning outcomes of children in California? Giving grants to local organisations  will only go so far without also offering the support of a champion to give them confidence, challenge and hustle on their behalf

After years of experiencing this firsthand, we set up Brink Foundation to shift the grantmaking paradigm

Eighteen months ago, we set up a foundation to do things differently - and work is well underway.

Brink launched uBoraBora with seed funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April to support education to learn and adapt their way to scale. We planned to disburse six grants, each valued at $75,000 and were overwhelmed with 365 applications, not only from small, grassroots organisations, but also from established players with multi-million-dollar budgets. Why would organisations with tens of millions be drawn to such a small amount of investment? Because their existing funding arrangements guard against agency, change and innovation. 

Strict monitoring and reporting constraints typically force these organisations to follow a rigid  plan instead of having the permission to adapt based on insight. This compliance-first approach stifles honesty and creativity. 

Intermediaries like Brink - reliant on funders for survival - often need to sidestep tough conversations about what’s truly needed to hit arbitrary milestones. The outcome? A culture of "everything is fine", where the real issues are buried under bureaucracy and pressure, and progress is hindered.

This is nothing new. Anyone who has worked with or been part of grantmaking has experienced funders competing over ‘darlings’, gloss applied to inconvenient truths and incentives that counteract the stated goals of the work. These are significant issues and none of them are about capital flow or ‘who gets the money’. Yet most efforts to reimagine grantmaking focus (way too narrowly) on the flow of capital alone. 

‍If we don’t begin to focus on relationships then we will keep missing the mark and misusing our money. Brink Foundation was set up to capitalise on this insight and be a different kind of intermediary. We are on a mission to build a game-changing template for ‘more impact, faster’ with our funders and grantees.

The psychology of next century grantmaking is about shifting our roles and behaviour

  1. Funder: from dictating the path to setting the goal. Funders set a clear destination but trust grantees and intermediaries to grapple with reality and adjust as they learn. It's not about ticking boxes, it's about creating conditions for intelligent people to make intelligent choices for real, lasting impact.
  2. Intermediary: from manager to coach. Intermediary organisations like Brink drop the red tape and take on a supportive, coaching role. They’re not there to monitor and evaluate what has happened, but to work in partnership, strategically figuring out what comes next. This means offering real-time critical friendship, having open conversations, and asking powerful questions like, "What should we do differently, now?" 
  3. Grantee: from delivery partner to strategic collaborator. Grantees aren’t just implementing someone else’s vision; they're driving it. They bring local insights and adapt strategies as they go, making them true partners in shaping the work. With the freedom to pivot and explore new paths, they can confront complex challenges head-on and push for solutions that make a real difference.

Brink Foundation will structure, manage and disburse £40m in grants with like-minded partners over the next five years. Are you one of them?

We know that people have an abundance of talent and goodwill. The one thing we don’t have in abundance is time. There is an urgent need to address climate issues, youth unemployment, equitable education in the age of AI and 85% of SDGs that are lagging.

That’s why we’re inviting funders to talk to us, work with us and connect with one another - to change grantmaking fast. We will be selecting a group of five funders to:

  • Design and implement next century grantmaking programmes together
  • Capture the tools, processes and templates for this work as a global good and share it on our YouTube channel and in our partner publication SSIR (tbc)
  • Offer a learning exchange and get togethers with other funders in the group through a calendar of events alongside global gatherings like UNGA, WEF

We’re aiming to address this now by partnering with like-minded people who are ready to reimagine what grantmaking can be.
To find out more about why this matters, and the beliefs behind our approach, read this letter from our founders.

Lea Simpson
The psychology of next-century grantmaking 
Reflecting on the Brink Retreat, 2025
What we know to be true - A message from Brink's founders
©BRINK INNOVATION LIMITED
BRINK INNOVATION LTD
86-90 PAUL STREET
LONDON
EC2A 4NE
COFFEE@HELLOBRINK.CO
PRIVACY POLICY
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
CLICK HERE
>