At Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, we decided to focus on two areas that we talk about all the time but somehow seem to still be stuck on: the everyday learning mindsets we aspire to celebrate and grow in our organization and clear decision-making processes. The Learning Philanthropy Framework gave us something that we didn’t previously have which changed the entire tone of the conversation: precision of language and a fun card game that sparked rich dialogue. The self-assessment process revealed deeper truths that we hadn’t been able to surface (and surface with joy!) previously.
| Clarify Decision-Making | Value Learning Mindsets | |
|---|---|---|
| Current | Building | Initiating |
| Aspirational | Embedding | Building |
| Priority Action: Celebrate examples of decision-making autonomy and use 1-1s to close the perception gap | Priority Action: Build learning awareness and make learning visible and reward it |
A Shared Language Changes Everything
The biggest breakthrough wasn't discovering new problems—it was finally having language precise enough to talk about the ones we already sensed. The Learning Philanthropy Framework transformed abstract conversations about learning and decision-making into practical, energizing discussions that helped our team align on both where we are today and where we want to be next.
What We Learned About Ourselves
- Learning was already happening across the organization, but it wasn't yet experienced as a shared way of working or a collective responsibility.
- Many staff were looking for greater clarity, ownership, and confidence while navigating ambiguity and making decisions.
- Questioning and healthy disagreement were often interpreted as criticism, making it harder to surface different perspectives and challenge assumptions.
- Learning was frequently viewed as something owned by the learning function rather than something embedded into everyone's daily work.
- Our aspiration wasn't to create more learning activities—it was to make learning a trusted, visible, and everyday way of achieving impact together.
When to Use This Process
This process is especially valuable when your organization senses that important conversations keep repeating without real progress. It helps teams move beyond vague aspirations by creating a shared language, assessing current and desired states, and identifying a small number of practical actions that build stronger learning cultures over time.
- Start with one or two priority areas rather than trying to transform your entire learning culture at once.
- Use the maturity discussions to build shared understanding—not to judge or score teams.
- Define both your current state and your aspirational state before identifying actions.
- Focus on behaviors and ways of working, not just structures or new processes.
- Translate insights into a small number of visible practices that become part of everyday work.
Our Advice To You on Process
Numbered items:
- Start with one or two priority areas. You don't have to assess everything at once. Begin with the learning practices that will make the biggest difference right now.
- Use the conversation, not just the score. The richest insights often emerge from discussing why people rated the organization differently—not from the numbers themselves.
- Describe behaviors, not aspirations. Instead of saying you want to "be more learning-oriented," define the specific leadership and team behaviors you want to see more often.
- Choose a few visible experiments. Turn insights into two or three concrete changes that people can experience, test, and learn from together.
- Revisit your progress regularly. Organizational learning is a practice, not a one-time assessment. Check in periodically to celebrate progress and identify what to strengthen next.
Note: This section is optional. Use when content benefits from a sequential or ranked format.
“The Learning Philanthropy Framework helped our team tackle conversations we’d been circling around for years. Instead of feeling heavy, the experience was surprisingly hopeful and energizing.”
Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete is a place-based philanthropy working to create a community where everyone can lead healthy, equitable lives. Through grantmaking, partnerships, research, and community leadership, the foundation invests in long-term systems change that addresses the root causes of health inequities across St. Petersburg, Florida. Its work spans areas including youth opportunity, racial equity, economic mobility, and neighborhood well-being, with a strong commitment to learning alongside the communities it serves.