Posts by Iara Duarte Peng

Why Funders Are Shifting to the JustFund Common ApplicationTM (Part 3) In this multi-part series, we look under the hood of our flagship grantmaking solution: The JustFund Common ApplicationTM. In part three, learn how JustFund streamlines the grantmaking process for funders. JustFund is the nation’s first – and only – grantmaking platform that uses a…

Calling All Applicants: Why JustFund Just Makes Sense (Part 2) In this multi-part series, we look under the hood of our flagship giving solution: The JustFund Common ApplicationTM. In part two, learn how JustFund makes the application process easier for nonprofits, funds, and other grantseeking entities. As the nation’s first – and only – giving…

This article was originally published by PEAK Grantmaking, a member-led association of philanthropy professionals leading the way in advancing equitable, effective grantmaking practices. For over 25 years, my career has focused on building and scaling social justice nonprofits. I set off on this path in 2001, when a group of donors from The Philanthropist Workshop…

Solving Long-Standing Challenges for Foundations and Changing Philanthropy as We Know It For years, I’ve seen the numerous challenges funders face during the grantmaking process and their frustrations for a better system have only grown over the years. Does this sound familiar? “I don’t want our applicants to spend so much time applying for a…

The Origin and Impact of the JustFund Common ApplicationTM (Part 1) In this multi-part series, we look under the hood of our flagship giving solution: The JustFund Common ApplicationTM. In part one, learn how JustFund started and the impact it has had on grantmaking since 2017. We know the grants process requires a significant amount…

When we started JustFund in 2017, I was eager to build a simple way to share different funding needs with members of the donor network I worked for at the time. The goal was to easily capture information from members about organizations they learned about and were contributing to, share those needs with other members,…

In 2023, JustFund welcomed over 20 new partners committed to centering equity in their grantmaking and working together to #resetphilanthopy for good. Values-aligned funders including: California Wellness Foundation, Communities First, Liberty Hill Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, Siegel Family Endowment, Social Venture Partners International and Zoom Cares made the switch to the common grant application, making…

Welcome to JustFund’s People Behind the Platform series, where we introduce our incredible team! Today, we are thrilled to introduce Joseph Mercurio, Senior Product Manager. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and spent most of my professional career working in Manhattan. I currently live in the Hudson Valley where I enjoy going…