![Headshot of Nadine Abraham beside text: "Philanthropy Isn’t Broken—but How We Fund Might Be" from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Social Finance section.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/14-1000x673.png")
Public Sector Solutions
Key Takeaway
A New Jersey foundation tried paying grantees for results instead of programs, unleashing both greater creativity and improved outcomes.
In this op-ed for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nadine Abraham makes the case for outcomes-based funding as a more effective alternative to traditional grant making — giving nonprofits unrestricted, flexible capital upfront while tying additional payments to real results. Drawing on Social Finance’s partnership with a New Jersey foundation to increase earned income tax credit uptake, Abraham shows how the approach unlocked grantee creativity, improved outcomes, and deepened funder-grantee trust in ways traditional grants rarely achieve.
Related Insight
![Headshot of Stephen Vicinelli next to text discussing how impact-first investing can connect high earners who want to give money with communities in need, featured in Kiplinger’s Social Finance section.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/13-1000x673.png")
Kiplinger: High Earners Want to Give Money and Communities Need It: Impact-First Investing Can Bridge the Gap
Donor-advised funds hold billions of dollars, but charitable organizations need money now. Impact-first investing can close the gap, and high-net-worth donors are interested. Why wait?