Accompaniment Approach
To be an effective philanthropic partner to organizations on the front lines of social change, we know we must build trust, listen, and stay flexible.
We embrace a type of partnership that goes beyond simply providing funding and stepping back. Building deep partnerships and placing value on shared learning along the journey toward systems change drives our approach to giving. Through what’s known as accompaniment, we stay deeply engaged with our partners, acknowledging the complex challenges they are navigating, and looking to them to identify where we can provide added support.
Inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of the global health organization, Partners In Health, a longtime grantee of Wagner’s, we have carried forward the concept of accompaniment and applied it to our grantmaking. The model centers on the importance of service, standing shoulder to shoulder, and walking alongside partners on the long road of building healthier and more just, vibrant communities. In philanthropy, it includes many of the important practices of trust-based funding like multi-year, general operating support, transparency, and simplified reporting.
We believe accompaniment philanthropy can start to shift the power dynamics of traditional models of philanthropy, by building relationships based on shared learning and mutual accountability. We strive to be a thought partner or a sounding board to navigate challenges together, seek to amplify their stories and advocate for their work, and work to connect them to the wider philanthropic network.
Accompaniment
To be an effective philanthropic partner to organizations on the front lines of social change, we know we must build trust, listen, and stay flexible.
Wagner Foundation grants are by invitation only. If you believe your work is a good fit, you can submit your contact information and a description of the work to info@wfound.org. Please be advised that although we review each inquiry, we only respond to those that we wish to pursue further.
Grantmaking FAQs
Wagner Foundation invests in healthier communities by supporting organizations dedicated to health equity, economic wellbeing, and art & culture in the US, Africa, Latin America, and Haiti.
Art & Culture: We center artists as catalysts of change and community development through local and national investments in contemporary visual art exhibitions, publications, public art, and visual arts organizations at all scales.
Economic Wellbeing: We collaborate with our partners to expand access to wealth-building opportunities and create pathways to fair wages, ensuring everyone has the resources they need to thrive.
Health Equity: We work with organizations focused on clinical healthcare delivery, public health systems, and the social, cultural, and environmental factors that impact health.
Please reference individual focus area pages for the specific funding priorities Wagner Foundation is currently focused on supporting.
Grantee partners must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor.
Wagner Foundation is not currently supporting initiatives outside our focus areas of health equity, economic wellbeing, and art & culture. Additionally, we do not fund individuals, private foundations, or political campaigns. Currently, we do not fund organizations registered outside of the US with rare exceptions. We do not fund capital campaigns, fundraising event sponsorships, or endowments.
Please see below for an overview of the geographic regions where we fund:
North America: US with a specific focus in Greater Boston
Africa: Priority countries include Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia
Latin America & Caribbean: Priority countries include Guatemala, Haiti, and Peru
Please note, priority geographies may shift based on current funding priorities.
Generally, there are two types of grants and funding models that Wagner Foundation supports:
Types of Grants
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- Programmatic: These kinds of grants are limited to supporting specific projects or initiatives that our partners are pursuing within the scope of Wagner Foundation’s funding priorities.
- General Operating: These include unrestricted grants that are aimed at supporting the overall operations of our grantee partners and are not necessarily tied to specific program goals.
Funding Models
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- One-Time Grant: This takes the form of a single, short-term grant typically over a 12-month grant term.
- Multi-Year Grant: This longer-term funding commitment is sustained over a specified number of years.
Invited partners will work with their main contact to determine the grant process.
Wagner Foundation has two grant cycles per year — in June and December. Awards will be dispersed by the end of June or December, respectively.
Wagner Foundation grants are extended by invitation only. Current partners, please reach out to your main contact with any questions about our process.
If you are not a current grantee partner and believe your work is a good fit, you can submit your contact information and a description of the work to info@wfound.org. Please be advised that although we review each inquiry, due to our staff size, we only respond to those that we wish to pursue further.
Wagner Foundation’s Good Neighbor Fund is a revolving initiative focused on meeting the immediate needs of our local community. Grants are considered by invitation only and the focus of the fund shifts each year, responding to the most pressing needs of those we serve.
Current grantees should use our Grantee Portal to view completed and upcoming payments, grant requirements, and Wagner Foundation contact information. Please email info@wfound.org for technical assistance or other questions regarding the Grantee Portal.
If you are a historic grantee of Wagner Foundation and have questions about a previous grant, please email info@wfound.org.
Current Partners as of July 2025
Art & Culture
Economic Wellbeing
Health Equity
Economic Wellbeing Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Economic Wellbeing
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Art & Culture Economic Wellbeing
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Art & Culture Economic Wellbeing
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Art & Culture Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Economic Wellbeing Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Health Equity
Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Economic Wellbeing Health Equity
Economic Wellbeing
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture Health Equity
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Economic Wellbeing
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Economic Wellbeing Health Equity
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Health Equity
Art & Culture Health Equity
Economic Wellbeing
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Economic Wellbeing Health Equity
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Good Neighbor Fund
Art & Culture
Art & Culture
Health Equity
Health Equity
Health Equity
Good Neighbor Fund
Economic Wellbeing
Good Neighbor Fund
Geographies
| Africa | Priority countries include Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia |
| Latin America & Caribbean | Priority countries include Guatemala, Haiti, and Peru |
| North America | US with a specific focus in Greater Boston |
*Please note, priority geographies may shift based on current funding priorities.
