Discretionary Grants: Encouraging Participation… or Dividing Families?

The practice of discretionary grantmaking brings out a wide variety of responses. This Passages Issue Brief looks at the common reasons that families use or opt not to use discretionary grants, and the typical process that is used to make these types of grants. The paper also examines how different approaches to discretionary grants can support or hinder the work of the foundation, and the legal regulations regarding these practices.