In the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s (NCRP) most recent report, the authors argue that underinvestment in non-profit leadership development, which constitutes less than one percent of yearly grantmaking, acts as a significant barrier for building sustainable capacity to achieve meaningful social change. By supporting leadership development programs, philanthropy can help to catalyze new ideas and innovation, sustain leaders’ momentum, generate a new network of local leaders, and ultimately make long lasting change. The authors outline several recommendations to support grassroots leaders and offer solutions to common challenges in funding leadership development.