approach
working with VIVA means...
01
Supporting progressive and feminist philanthropy
○ Collaborative funds, feminist funds, and giving circles ○ International and local funds ○ Philanthropic strategies for systems change, advocacy, and lobbying ○ Field catalysts and philanthropic affinity groups ○ Trust-based philanthropy, feminist principles of philanthropy, and Black equity principles in grantmaking and organizational culture ○ Equitable disaster response and rapid response grantmaking
02
Donor advising and donor organizing
○ Developing your vision & giving plan ○ Recommending organizations ○ Applying an equity lens, gender lens, and intersectional lens ○ Understanding the spectrum from social change to direct service ○ Supporting racial justice, gender justice, environmental justice, youth justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQI+ justice, economic justice ○ Community organizing and power-building, including funding 501c4s ○ Democracy, integrated voter engagement, and voting rights ○ Gender lens investing ○ Convening funder briefings and leading philanthropic workshops
03
Writing for impact and advocacy
○ Impact studies, reports, and briefs ○ Guest contributor pieces ○ NGO shadow reports to CEDAW Committee, Universal Periodic Review ○ Landscape mapping and analysis ○ Keynotes and talking points ○ Research and data analysis ○ Annual reports
04
Building communities and stakeholder engagement
○ Facilitating peer learning communities ○ Designing workshops and trainings ○ Coordinating delegations and proposing conference sessions ○ Participatory grantmaking & evaluation ○ Focus groups, in-depth interviews
05
Funder briefings and donor development
○ Curating virtual funder briefings ○ Donor development strategies ○ Donor engagement ○ Funder briefings ○ Grant proposals ○ Individual major gifts ○ ODA - government and multilateral grant management
06
Supporting movements & networks for racial and gender justice & democracy
○ Advocacy plus inside/outside power strategies ○ Theories of change and results-based management ○ Advising re. fiscal sponsorship ○ Network development and building coalitions ○ Donor organizing and fundraising
Founder & President
of VIVA
Sarah Vaill is the founder and president of VIVA Strategy | Vital. Intersectional. Vibrant. Advising + Strategy. VIVA is a consulting practice for racial justice and gender justice through global feminist and collaborative philanthropy, philanthropic advising, donor organizing, and strategic campaigns and communications. In 2024, Sarah and VIVA colleagues co-authored Change That Lasts, a 40-year impact study for the international feminist fund Mama Cash, tracking decades of wins by feminist movements for reproductive justice, environmental justice, economic justice, and more. VIVA recently launched a training and advising program on how to fund 501(c)4s (Funding 4ward), a network of philanthropic advisors working with a gender lens (Philanthropae Mavens), and tools for intersectional grantmaking strategies.
Proud to have worked with
