Generosity Deserves a Plan

From the Founder | Antoine B. Richards

Philanthropy is all about giving, but not without good stewardship. Even asking for someone’s $1.00 comes with an obligation to steward the money in a manner that is impactful. That level of transparency is essential to the success of the organization, but also essential to our core operations. Our plan is our 80/20 Philosophy.

Whether I tell you “$0.80 of every dollar creates and impact,” or “80% of all donations received go out the door,” it sounds nice and it’s marketable, but is it realistic? What do I really mean? The answer is this: at least 80% supports direct grants for community-led work, while up to 20% supports the organization that makes giving possible.

This is a foundational marker for the organization. I would absolutely love 87/13 or 90/10 because for there is so much good to do in the world, and if you are a good steward of funds, then I believe the funding will always come.

Seed Change Collective’s 80/20 philosophy began with a lottery ticket and a question from my daughter. “What would you do if you won?” The answer came quickly: “Give 80% away because there are people around the world who need it more.” And when she asked “why I didn’t want to be rich?” The answer came quickly: “20% of a jackpot would still be more than we might ever have in a lifetime and with good stewardship we can take care of ourselves and help others.” And when she asked “Why?” again, the answer was “I don’t know, baby, because God said So.”

The irony of that statement was that it came right after I finally decided on the name for the organization – Seed Change Collective and, indeed, this whole idea was “Because God Said So(w).”

Now, I don’t want to make this blog “preachy” or anything of that nature, but simply to say that it is a calling, and while an 80/20 foundation may seem impossible, the answer is never no, it’s always how?

Now before I get into the “how,” I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t take a moment to promote our Seed Change Collective Merchandise. Proceeds from any merchandise purchased come directly to the organization and support our work (following the 80/20 Philosophy – of course)! This is one way the “how” is possible, but let’s take a moment to really dive into the philosophy itself.

What the 80% Can Make Possible

Our mission is to connect everyday generosity with grassroots leaders around the world. The 80% is how we turn pooled contributions into financial support for their work. Consider $5,000 in unrestricted contributions. Under our model, at least $4,000 would support direct grants.

Depending on a community’s priorities and an approved project budget, that funding could help purchase building materials, equip a local initiative, or support a defined phase of a larger project. The specific outcome depends on local costs and what the people leading the work identify as necessary. However, in my travels, rarely have I come across a community project that was more than $7,500 USD when converted from local to US currency which was a driving force behind this organization.

We intend to connect each grant to a practical plan: what will be purchased or delivered, who will manage it, and how progress will be documented. That matters because “community impact” should eventually become something we can explain clearly. What did the funding make possible? Who benefited? What remains unfinished? But, more importantly, is the impact real.

To be honest, I could tell you all day that $2,400 USD could build a 3-4-bedroom house in a country somewhere, but would you really believe me? Especially if it fiscally makes no sense when we think about the cost of building a home here in the United States. For me, it’s not a “what if this is real” but a promise to show that even the smallest donations have the biggest impact.

A small grant does not have to solve an entire problem to make a meaningful contribution. It can help a community take a specific next step and for communities that are never afforded the opportunity to even crawl, that first step is powerful.

What the 20% Actually Pays For

Now, for the question about the 20%, because that’s just not sustainable, right? That same $5,000 provides $1,000 to support organizational infrastructure. That might help cover accounting tools, website and communication costs, required filings, banking and transfer expenses, or coordination with community partners. These are the practical functions behind a grant. But something is more powerful here….the message…the same thing I always write about in this “From the Founder” series. It doesn’t take a lot to achieve a lot.

The 20% helps us account for the 80%.

It also helps us prepare for the next grant. Maintaining a website, communicating our work, and building relationships make it possible for new supporters to find us and participate. But $1,000 cannot pay for everything. At that level, we have to choose carefully, use donated expertise where available, and keep our commitments within our capacity.

How a Small Percentage Can Support Growth

True to our philosophy, the percentage stays consistent as the pool grows. The dollars available to do the work increase.

For illustration:

Unrestricted contributions	At least 80% for direct grants	Up to 20% for infrastructure
$5,000	$4,000	$1,000
$10,000	$8,000	$2,000
$100,000	$80,000	$20,000
$1,000,000	$800,000	$200,000

These are allocation examples, rather than complete operating budgets. At $10,000, the infrastructure portion could help maintain essential systems and support limited coordination. It would not support a fully staffed organization. At $100,000, $20,000 could provide more room for professional services, part-time support, or necessary partner visits—but we would still have to prioritize among those needs. At $1 million, $200,000 could support a more substantial operating structure. What that includes would depend on the period the funding must cover, staffing costs, and the scope of our commitments.

Twenty percent of a growing pool can build capacity. It still requires a realistic budget.

So What Makes It Sustainable?

The ratio alone does not make an organization sustainable. Our decisions have to make it workable. First, we have to grow at a pace we can afford. Before adding projects, staff, or recurring expenses, we need to understand whether reliable revenue can support them.

Second, we need consistent giving. Recurring contributions can help us plan more confidently than relying entirely on occasional campaigns. Predictability matters when partners and organizational bills require follow-through.

Third, we need shared support. Board service, volunteer expertise, donated services, and partnerships can help an early organization accomplish more with limited funds. We also have to recognize the limits of that support and budget for paid capacity as the work grows.

Fourth, we need funding relationships that value infrastructure. Supporters may choose to help fund the systems, people, and organizational development behind the mission. Any designated support needs to be handled according to donor terms and explained transparently alongside our overall allocation. This would mean that there are donor relationships that support the organization without touching organizational funding. This is key to reaching an even better benchmark than 80/20.

Finally, we have to review the numbers honestly. We need to know what it costs to manage grants responsibly, what our team can sustain, and when to slow down before making another commitment.

Our goal is an organization that can keep its promises over time.

Stewardship Includes Both Parts

The 80% expresses our commitment to getting resources into community-led work. The 20% supports our ability to select, coordinate, document, and sustain that investment responsibly. Both require accountability. Neither should be treated as an automatic measure of effectiveness. We still need to show what the funding supported and what happened as a result.

My daughter’s question started with imaginary lottery winnings. Seed Change Collective asks us to apply that answer to real contributions, real budgets, and real relationships.

Generosity deserves a plan—and sustainability means making sure we can keep carrying it out.

🌱 Learn more about our approach at seedchangecollective.org/transparency.