Exponent Philanthropy, Author at Exponent Philanthropy

Exponent Philanthropy Recent Posts

What’s New in the 2026 Foundation Operations and Management Report 

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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

The Promise and Pitfalls of AI in Philanthropy

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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

2025 Year in Review: Staying Grounded in a Year of Change

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Celebrating 30 years of impact! What began as an idea in 1995 has evolved into the largest philanthropic network in the nation – more than 1,500 strong – that works together to address the hands-on challenges of lean funders.   As the Exponent Philanthropy team settles into 2026 – our 30th year advancing meaningful philanthropy – we are filled with gratitude for our community and all that we accomplished together last year. During a year shaped by political,... Read More

What Recent Executive Orders Mean for Foundation Giving and Governance

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On September 25, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order addressing domestic terrorism and organized political violence. On December 4, 2025, the Attorney General issued a memorandum that “reshapes how domestic terrorism will be defined, investigated, charged, and resourced across the federal government.” Taken together, these developments prompted many funders to consider their possible... Read More

Community, Courage, and Connection: Highlights From the 2025 Conference

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In a year defined by political polarization, rising community needs, and shifting expectations across the philanthropic sector, 2025 challenged funders to reconsider how they show up and where they can make the greatest difference. Nonprofits faced mounting pressures, from constrained budgets to expanding service demands, requiring deeper partnerships, greater flexibility, and renewed trust. Against this... Read More

The Catalysts in Action: Connecting, Collaborating, Championing, and Advocating for Systemic Change

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Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP) is a mindset that helps lean funders move from grantmakers to changemakers. Grounded in humility, passion, curiosity, and patience, CLIP encourages funders to build deeper relationships, understand the systems they operate in, and leverage all their assets, not just grant dollars, to spark lasting change. In this final case study,... Read More