Grants Shouldn’t Be a Riddle with Olivia Jones

---

In a new episode of Untapped Philanthropy, Olivia Jones, Senior Arts and Culture Funding Manager for the City of San Diego, joins hosts Kerrin Mitchell and Tim Sarrantonio to explore how funding systems reflect what institutions believe is valuable, and what happens when essential community impact cannot be easily measured.

Drawing on her experience as both a nonprofit leader and public sector grantmaker, Olivia offers a rare perspective on the barriers built into traditional funding processes. The conversation examines how complicated language, rigid spending restrictions, and one-size-fits-all reporting requirements can prevent organizations from accessing resources or accurately communicating the value of their work.

Olivia also shares what more accessible grantmaking can look like in practice, from writing guidelines in plain language and designing materials for screen readers to offering office hours, translation resources, and greater flexibility in how funds are used. She challenges funders to collect only the information they genuinely need and to recognize community impact through more than ticket counts, attendance totals, or other traditional measurements.

Together, Kerrin, Tim, and Olivia offer a candid look at what it means to listen to communities and build funding systems around their real needs. The episode explores why equitable grantmaking requires more than changing terminology or following philanthropic trends. It requires trust, consistency, accessibility, and a willingness to support the long-term resilience of the organizations doing the work.

Listen to the full episode of Untapped Philanthropy to hear Olivia Jones’s insights and experiences in her own words.

For more information on Olivia and her work, visit: 

• Connect on Linkedin
• City of San Diego Cultural Affairs
  
• Meet the Cultural Affairs team

To learn more about Fluxx, visit: fluxx.io

Tim Sarrantonio has launched The Generosity Spectrum, an educational gaming company focused on helping nonprofit leaders explore generosity, identity, and motivation through hands-on learning. The work blends research, play, and systems thinking to create practice spaces where people can learn together in more human ways. To learn more about the thinking behind the company and where it’s headed, listeners can subscribe to Tim’s LinkedIn newsletter.

Episodes of Untapped Philanthropy are edited, mixed, and mastered by Rocket Skates Recording.

Download the episode transcript here.