This CO Toolbox is the second produced by NFG. The first, NFG's Jobs Toolbox, was published in 1999. Some descriptions, data and analysis presented in NFG's Jobs Toolbox that are highly relevant for CO grantmaking considerations are referenced in this one.⁶

The first section of this Toolbox is CO: The Basics. It provides solid background on CO, its history, the different types of CO organizations and what CO has accomplished over the years. This section assumes that readers know little, if anything, about CO.

The second section, Grantmakers and Community Organizing, provides a full picture of how and why funders get involved in CO funding. Among the topics: setting a CO funding strategy, choosing groups to fund, how CO funding fits with other funding priorities and how to evaluate CO funding.

The third section, Two In-Depth CO Case Studies, showcases the activities of two foundations with a strong commitment to CO grantmaking: the Hyams Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Readers interested in CO's results may want to pay particular attention to the sections entitled, CO Accomplishments (page 33), Why Grantmakers Prioritize CO (page 49) and Measuring Results: How to Evaluate CO Initiatives (page 70). The case studies in the third section provide some highlights of CO victories and accomplishments, as well.