Elizabeth Eagen is a former Senior Program Officer at the Open Society Foundations, where she spent over a decade funding global digital rights and emerging technology work. In this episode, she reflects on the philosophy behind her 50/30/20 funding model, why grantmaking is always shaped by internal dynamics, and what it means to move through the work with clarity, consistency, and long-term commitment.

She talks candidly about what she looked for in a pitch: analysis, specific asks, and a conversation that recognizes both sides as professionals. She’s blunt about what backfires, honest about the decisions that get made behind closed doors, and generous in naming what she wishes more grantees understood.

It’s a conversation about structure, risk, and how to stay candid without burning trust.

Produced by Chris Lawrence and Urbanist Media

For more tools, workshops, and resources on building authentic fundraising relationships, visit: aspirationtech.org/htrm