Zimo Banta
Director of Learning & Evaluation
2 Years at Meadows
I serve the people of Texas by building a culture of learning at the Foundation so that we can continuously improve and increase our impact.
Proudest Achievement at the Foundation
Moving our grant application completely online and integrated into our grants management system was a huge improvement, and the way we did it was just as important as the fact that we did it. The pandemic required us to digitize our application, so we took the opportunity to make the process easier. We talked with more than two dozen of our grantee partners for feedback and ultimately made a new system that is more efficient, clear, and painless for our grant applicants.
What the Pandemic Changed
Hobbies
I’ve really gotten into baking bundt cakes and muffins. The fanciest I’ve made so far are grapefruit white chocolate mini bundt cakes.
Motivation
The work itself is exciting and interesting. We’ve done so much, and have so much more to do, in terms of building out our data infrastructure, finding more efficiencies in our processes, and continuing to strengthen our learning culture. Plus, working alongside colleagues who are talented, are passionate about philanthropy, and come to work every day wanting to do better than the day before is energizing and inspiring.
View of Our Sector & Work
The pandemic (and the, unfortunately, many intervening disasters and crises) really demonstrated how collaborative foundations and nonprofits in Texas can be. I love that funders have banded together around each crisis to align giving and support. I also appreciate how responsive The Meadows Foundation has been in reaching out to nonprofits, asking what they need, and quickly turning around funding to meet that need.
What I’m Looking Forward To
On the Foundation side, we are continuing to digitize our processes to make everything from signing contracts to submitting reports easier and more streamlined. In the larger field of philanthropy, I love that there’s a wider movement toward trust-based philanthropy, which centers around equity, humility, and transparency.