1. Blog Objectives Our blog supports the goals set out in our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan: Goal 1: Amplify the Voice of Lean Funders Goal 2: Enhance the Impact of Lean Funders Goal 3: Accelerate Racial Equity & Disability Inclusion Among Lean Funders Goal 4: Expedite a Sustainable Organizational Future 2. Understanding Our Audience Our primary... Read More
“What do you need?” It may be one of the simple questions a funder can ask, and one of the most transformative. In this moment, that question carries new urgency. Across our communities, nonprofits are under real strain, taking on more risk and doing more with fewer resources. Philanthropy is being called to respond. The... Read More
More than two decades ago, a group of foundation leaders—many working with few or no staff—came together with a shared realization: they were navigating philanthropy largely on their own. What began as a simple gathering sparked something bigger, a community built on connection, shared learning, and a commitment to doing more with less. Today, as... Read More
Across the nonprofit sector, an enormous amount of time is spent on grant applications that will never be funded. Some of that is unavoidable. A lot of it isn’t. When application processes are more complex than they need to be, the burden falls on the nonprofits least equipped to handle it, and the real value of... Read More
If you’re a lean funder looking to invest in the future of your community, consider adding youth philanthropy to your portfolio. Across the country, young people are engaging in philanthropy in ways that shape not only their own lives, but also the strength and resilience of their communities. These experiences foster leadership, deepen civic participation,... Read More
Many lean funders, looking at their limited budgets and small teams, ask a familiar question: Is writing a check the most we can really offer? New data from Exponent Philanthropy’s 2026 Foundation Operations and Management Report suggests the answer is no, and many foundations are already demonstrating why. Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy highlights four Catalysts... Read More
