How can small, early-stage grants spark outsized impact? This new case study explores how the Howell Conservation Fund (HCF) used seed funding to accelerate environmental projects and test new ideas, while deepening relationships and learning as a lean funder. Through its 2023–2024 Catalytic Grant Program, HCF awarded nine $5,000 seed grants to organizations worldwide. The... Read More
Download the Fifth Edition Today! Staying the Course Toward Inclusive Philanthropy Philanthropy has always excelled when it listens, learns, and evolves to meet the needs of the communities it serves. In recent years, lean funders have increasingly recognized that racial equity is not an optional add-on to their work; it is central to their mission... Read More
Funders want to be the best versions of themselves. A critical step on that journey is getting feedback from grantees. However, not every foundation has the time or capacity to collect grantee feedback. At Exponent Philanthropy, we help lean funders collect feedback from their communities through the Grantee and Applicant Perception Survey. Over the past... Read More
Incorporating Allyship Into Your Philanthropy Using interviews with lean funders and foundations and data from the Foundation Operations and Management Report and other surveys, this report focuses on the relevance of racial equity to our members’ missions and board and staff demographics. It shows how racial equity relates to good governance, grantmaking, and investment practices,... Read More
Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP) is a mindset and practice that empowers lean, place-based foundations to unleash their full potential to spark transformative change on issues prioritized by local communities. By embracing their unique abilities to act quickly, focus persistently, and nurture deep relationships, individuals who embrace CLIP go beyond typical grantmaking and become dynamic... Read More
Racial equity is a critical element of philanthropy. While lean funders are increasingly focused on it, foundation boards and staff remain disproportionately White. Two of the primary factors holding back philanthropy’s efforts to advance social change are both tied to race: Understanding Race’s Role in the Issues: How race shapes the problems philanthropists aim to... Read More