10 Ways To Streamline Principles for Peak Grantmaking helps funders reduce the burden of their requirements so grantseekers can dedicate more time to mission-based work. Here are some of their recommendations for streamlining: Right-size applications and reports for small grants. Many foundations ask grantseekers and grantees to complete the same application, regardless of grant size... Read More
At The Triple EEE Foundation, we have used scrutiny of our investment managers and unique investment ideas to weather the recent economic storms and further our mission. Although our family foundation was created in 1993, I became very interested in foundation investing in 2000. That year, at an Exponent Philanthropy conference in Chicago, one of... Read More
A foundation executive director, I am sharing four lessons about how to evaluate outcomes more effectively. The points that follow are not complex ideas. To many, they probably seem obvious. As is often the case for me, the mere act of recording them provided me with new insights. Find the right approach for your work... Read More
As a direct result of a dramatic increase in the foundation’s asset base, the Hutton Foundation decided to offer program related investments (PRIs) to nonprofit organizations. This growth necessitated a quick increase in annual distributions to meet the 5% annual payout requirement set by the Internal Revenue Service. A portion of the foundation’s annual distributions... Read More
It is always a good policy to have a grant agreement with grant recipients—not for when the grant goes well but, rather, for when it does not. With a grant agreement in place, it is easier to monitor a grant for performance according to the application, to see if anticipated outcomes are achieved, and to... Read More
With just a bit of time and effort to review nonprofits’ financials, you will get to know organizations better and choose those best equipped to create the changes you seek. Terms to know Assets represent what the nonprofit owns—Current assets are the sum of all assets that could be converted to cash in less than... Read More