“There’s almost no strictly ‘local’ philanthropy anymore,” says Exponent Philanthropy member Betty Curtis of the Atkinson Foundation in California. “As we become aware of how totally and globally our economic, social, and political lives are intertwined, we have the opportunity to design our grantmaking accordingly.” Even modest grants can have significant reach in developing countries.... Read More
Writes Ken Berger, former president of Charity Navigator: A while ago, a researcher on the nonprofit landscape created a list of every “information intermediary” (including Charity Navigator, GuideStar, BBB, etc.) and calculated there were over 100 of us. . . . Whatever barriers to entry there were in starting such groups have largely dissolved, given... Read More
There is always room—and a need—to keep learning, adapting, and improving. Embrace continual learning People learn in different ways: through formal training, conversation, coaching, reading, doing, and, most often, through a combination of all these. It’s important to develop a learning agenda for yourself and your organization, including the most effective and feasible ways to... Read More
If you believe your foundation’s only asset is money, think again! Whether managed by volunteers or with the help of staff, your foundation is sure to have a range of assets at its disposal: Human assets—The creativity, passion, energy, and resourcefulness of your founders, trustees, and staff create huge potential for impact above and beyond... Read More
Project funding often is more appealing than general support funding because projects are time limited and focused. It is easier to evaluate whether a project has met its goals. In addition, project budgets are smaller than overall organizational budgets, and thus your grant provides a larger percentage of needed funds. Also, new projects make sense... Read More
When initiated from the ground up—from the nonprofits themselves—collaborations can serve communities effectively and efficiently. Strong collaborations maximize nonprofits’ impact by providing administrative stability; decreasing duplication, competition, and overlap of services; and bringing more diverse approaches to complex social and environmental problems. Funders are uniquely positioned to cultivate and support nonprofit collaborations, and to do... Read More
