Our first retroactive funding round aimed to recognize and reward exceptional performance in operating Community Rounds using Gitcoin’s Grants Stack. Retroactively funding successful round operators allows us to reward and continue to recognize high-quality, impactful, and autonomous community-driven grant programs.
The EasyRPGF round allowed us to distribute funding efficiently to round operators that participated in GG20 and GG21. Nine rounds were eligible to participate. The total funding amount was $50k. Overall feedback was positive, highlighting the user-friendly interface and the value of the experience. However, areas for improvement include standardization of metrics, enhanced guidance for badgeholders, and clearer financial transparency for round operators. This retrospective includes feedback from Round Operators and Badgeholders.
“Gitcoin is growing and investing in its wide community of supporters, operators and allocators. Hugely grateful that this community exists” - Monty
Our badgeholders played an essential role in judging the impact of these rounds and determining how the funds would be split with the power of their votes. Badgeholders evaluated the overall impact the round had, the degree of autonomy in its execution, and the experiences of grantees. According to this round, CCN, Asia Round, and TEC are the top recipients which demonstrates the efficiency with which they have run rounds as they received the most votes from our badgeholders, receiving 2.641 ETH each. These rounds were recognized for showcasing exceptional autonomy and impact.
Feedback from badgeholders highlighted several positive experiences as well as areas for improvement. Badgeholders rated their experience highly, with a 4.67/5 rating. Badgeholders also appreciated the user-friendly interface for casting their votes. The supportive Telegram group for badgeholders was noted as a strength, though more frequent updates from the Gitcoin team could enhance the experience. Additionally, badgeholders valued the learning opportunities related to round operator processes and gaining a better understanding of the program's impact.
There were suggestions for improvements to enhance transparency. Incorporating “voter rationale” threads, similar to those used in Optimism’s RetroPGF rounds was recommended to foster deeper thought and transparency. Badgeholders also recommended limiting the number of impact metrics or links projects can submit to avoid overwhelming voters. They also suggested integrating the feedback submission process directly into the platform, such as through an in-app form, rather than relying on GitHub tickets. These improvements aim to streamline the experience while promoting transparency and accessibility.
“I’m a big believer in EasyRPGF and thrilled to see this product being iterated on by us. Dogfooding FTW!” - Umar Khan
Feedback from Round Operators was extremely positive, giving their experience a 4.5/5 rating. There is strong admiration for Gitcoin’s stewardship of the ecosystem and the operational experience during this round.
Areas for improvement include providing more clarity in the application process and enabling porting of historical round information linked to wallets to reduce redundant data entry. Additionally, greater transparency around the financial outcomes, such as providing estimated funding per vote, was suggested.
"Gitcoin is admirably filing into its role as a steward of an ecosystem of ecosystems, recognizing the chain of value creation and allocation." - Clinamenic
Round operators expressed that the onboarding process for this easyRPGF round was clear and straightforward. It was requested by badgeholders that we provide additional resources like frameworks or examples from experienced badgeholders to improve their understanding of the role they play.
The EasyRPGF round demonstrated Gitcoin's commitment to empowering impactful ecosystems while rewarding high-performing round operators. It successfully distributed funds and provided a positive experience for participants, but also highlighted areas for growth. Key improvements include standardizing metrics for clearer evaluations, increasing transparency in financial allocations, and enhancing platform tools to streamline processes and foster collaboration. By addressing these insights, Gitcoin can amplify its impact and better support its mission to fund public goods and strengthen decentralized communities.