This blog post is part 2 of 3 in a series on trust-based philanthropy. See part 1 here >>
At the Community Foundation, our trust-based philanthropy approach has developed over time through listening, reflection, and experience. It is not a fixed model. It is an ongoing practice shaped by our community, our partners, and what we continue to learn. We are proud to practice trust-based philanthropy because it flips long-standing power dynamics in philanthropy and does so in a way that’s better aligned with what drives impact.
The Values That Guide Us
Values matter in philanthropy because they help guide decisions over time.
In 2024, our Board and staff engaged in a collaborative process to clarify the values that guide our work. We are guided by six core values: leadership, collective impact, trust, equity, belonging, and learning. These values are the underpinnings of how we act intentionally and create positive impact in our community.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Over time, we’ve adjusted our grantmaking to reflect our values and to respond to what we’ve learned from nonprofit partners.
We grant unrestricted funding. One place this shows up clearly is in our Community Fund grantmaking. In 2023, we transitioned all our Community Fund grants to go toward unrestricted funding, reflecting a shared understanding that flexible funding allows organizations to respond more effectively to real-world conditions. In 2025, the Community Fund awarded $468,000 to nonprofits serving Summit County residents and workforce.
We’ve worked to make our processes more straightforward and supportive. We’ve streamlined grant applications and reporting, and we approach grant agreements as tools for conversation and shared learning, not rigid compliance. We aim to build in flexibility as organizations adapt and grow during the grant period, recognizing that community work rarely follows a straight line.
We’ve also been reexamining how we gather and share information. While some custom reporting is still part of our grantmaking, we’ve been working to balance structure with flexibility by incorporating different ways of learning about the impact of nonprofit work, including conversations, check-ins, and, when possible, materials nonprofits already prepare such as annual reports, newsletters, and financial statements.
Learning From Community and Nonprofit Expertise
Trust also shows up in how decisions are informed.
We practice participatory grantmaking through our steering committees, which help guide funding decisions in specific program areas. We believe it’s important that funding decisions are guided by people who have lived experience with the causes being funded—they understand the problems and solutions best. Our Youth United steering committee, for instance, is made up of former participants, parents, and others connected to the program’s work to expand access to recreation for local youth. Their perspectives help ground funding decisions in what families and young people are experiencing in Summit County.
We also defer to nonprofit expertise when responding to community needs. In 2025, our Community Belonging Fund awarded an unrestricted grant of $50,000 to the Wasatch Immigration Project to expand immigration legal services in the Wasatch Back. Wasatch Immigration Project has been building its capacity while responding to rapidly changing policies and increased demand for its services. Over the course of the grant, the scope of their work and immediate needs evolved. Through open communication and an ongoing relationship, we navigated those changes together, staying focused on the shared goal of expanding access to legal support for immigrant families.
Park City Community Foundation serves as a trusted resource for donors and offers personalized philanthropic advisory services. To learn more or start a conversation, please contact Alexis Brown, VP of Development, at alexis@parkcitycf.org.
Learn more about Trust-Based Philanthropy.
Posted in: Donors, For Nonprofits, Education & Trainings