Why Most Grant Programs Fail After Funding

In one sentence

Grant programs fail at post-funding follow-through, not project selection.

Short answer

Most grant programs fail because they lack systems to track execution after funds are disbursed, leaving ecosystems unable to learn from outcomes.

The hidden failure point

Grant programs are architected around:

• Applications
• Committees
• Voting
• Disbursement

They are rarely architected around:

• Execution tracking
• Verification
• Learning loops

Common failure modes

• Updates are optional or unstructured
• No shared definition of "progress"
• Execution data is lost between rounds
• Evaluators are not accountable for outcomes

Structural consequence

When execution data is missing, future funding decisions are made with no memory. Ecosystems repeat the same risks without realizing it.

How Karma addresses this

Karma shifts the center of gravity from funding events to execution histories, enabling grant programs to learn which teams actually deliver.