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About Neighbor
Neighbor is, an endeavor of the Herschend Family. Twenty-one households across 4 generations participate in giving through Neighbor. Younger members are also actively engaged, through our internal NewGen and NextGen pathways.
In the past ten years, Neighbor has supported nonprofits, internationally and domestically that mattered most to individual family members. Four years ago, we set our sites on a more catalytic approach. We began funding in collaboration with other funders, piloting new projects and ultimately shifted our focus towards a palace-based, community-informed grant making.
Today our core work resides in Southwest Missouri. We strive to listen and learn from the regions we’re grant-making in, and build capacity of the nonprofits and the ecosystem in which they work. Eventually, Neighbor will expand to other regions that matter to our family. To stay informed of those opportunitites, we reserve a small portion of our grant making to fund in collaboration with national partners and learn alongside other foundations in various learning networks.
Some of our work is already underway. Other efforts will take shape in the months ahead. What remains constant is our commitment to stay present, steward resources wisely, and walk alongside communities for the long haul.
We believe that is how lasting good is built.
Partners
Empowered Regionally
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GRANTED
To Date and Coutning!
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Years
Of Strategic Giving
Our Grant Making Pillars
Community Engagement
Building collaborative power through regional partnerships and community organizing
Capacity Building
Strengthening organizational infrastructure through leadership development and systemic growth
Learning & Evaluation
Transforming sector practice through community-informed research
Projects & Programs
Executing outcome-driven pilot programs through structured reporting and community sourcing
STRATEGIES FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
We utilize a diverse toolkit to support the nonprofit ecosystem, moving beyond traditional grantmaking to build long-term capacity.
Investing in Organizational Resilience and Stability
We believe that for a nonprofit to flourish, it needs more than just project-specific funding. Our direct grants prioritize general operating support and multi-year commitments. This approach provides our partners with the "breathing room" to invest in their own infrastructure, retain high-quality staff, and pivot when community needs change. By moving away from restrictive, short-term funding, we empower organizations to stay focused on their mission rather than their next grant application.
Strengthening the Foundations for Sustainable Scale
Impact is built on the strength of an organization’s foundation. Through our strategic advisory services, we fund capacity-building initiatives such as board development, executive coaching, and long-range strategic planning. We don't just ask our partners to grow; we provide the tools—from technology upgrades to financial management audits—that ensure they can handle that growth sustainably. This is about moving a nonprofit from "surviving" to "thriving."
Amplifying Impact through Strategic Alliances
Complex societal challenges are too large for any single funder to solve alone. Neighbor acts as a catalyst for collaboration, bringing together individuals, families, and institutions to pool their talent and charitable resources. By coordinating our giving, we reduce the administrative burden on nonprofits and amplify our collective impact on the issues that matter most. This collaborative model allows us to take on higher-risk, high-reward innovations that might be out of reach for a lone foundation.
Illuminating Root Causes through Rigorous Analysis
Strategic giving must be informed by evidence. We invest in deep problem analysis to understand the root causes of regional issues—examining the rules, roles, relationships, and resources that shape our community. Our research doesn't just sit on a shelf; we share these insights with our partners and peer funders to redefine how our region understands its challenges. This data-driven approach ensures that every dollar spent is a surgical strike against systemic obstacles.
Bridging Sectors to Foster Unified Action
As a neutral party with a bird’s-eye view of the landscape, we use our convening power to bridge the gap between sectors. We host "Learning Communities" and roundtable discussions that bring together nonprofit leaders, government officials, and community advocates. These gatherings are designed to spark creative problem-solving, build trust-based relationships, and lay the groundwork for collective action that lasts long after the meeting ends.
PERSPECTIVES ON GIVING
Exploring the latest trends in philanthropy, regional needs, and success stories from the front lines of our community partners.
