Family foundations remain an important part of lean philanthropy. Whether fully family-led or supported by nonfamily board members and staff, they continue to influence their communities and giving priorities across generations. The 2026 Foundation Operations and Management Report (FOMR) offers new insight into how these foundations are structured and how they give. This year, 51%... Read More
Each year, Exponent Philanthropy surveys lean foundations from across the country to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities in philanthropy. The 2026 Foundation Operations & Management Report (FOMR) provides essential benchmarking data on leadership, governance, grantmaking, and investments, helping funders make informed decisions to maximize their impact. What’s New in the 2026 FOMR? This year’s report includes new data to reflect... Read More
As Presidents’ Day approaches, I’m reflecting on the leadership our communities need right now: leadership grounded in courage, humility, and a willingness to engage across differences. That theme came to life at Exponent Philanthropy’s 2025 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio. One event in particular stands out: our second-day plenary, a staged reading of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick... Read More
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before: Two weeks before a foundation announced its annual RFP, my organization found out we wouldn’t be invited to reapply. After five years of funding, deep collaboration, and conversations just months earlier that suggested continued support, 30% of our overall budget suddenly disappeared. I was funder ghosted. BS... Read More
Artificial intelligence—particularly large language models (LLMs), which are trained on large amounts of text to generate written responses to prompts —such as ChatGPT or Claude—is becoming an increasingly common part of nonprofit and philanthropic work. These tools offer new possibilities for research, communication, and efficiency, while also raising important questions about accuracy, bias, data privacy,... Read More