Hiring takes a good deal of time and sometimes money. The more thorough and careful your recruitment process is, the more likely the staff you choose will be successful and long term. Here are several tips: Decide whether to manage the search internally or with outside assistance—If your foundation decides to handle it, designate a... Read More
Foundation board members are expected to: Set and adjust the direction for the foundation: its mission and goals. Establish principles, policies, and procedures that govern the foundation’s operation and advance its mission. Oversee the foundation to ensure that it operates effectively and efficiently in support of the mission, and that it complies with legal rules.... Read More
Grantmakers can realize an array of benefits by engaging stakeholders effectively: A deeper understanding of issues and problems A truer sense of grantees’ needs and the challenges they’re facing More effective strategies for achieving the foundation’s mission The risks of not doing this work include frayed relationships with grantees and communities, insufficient understanding of key... Read More
Right-sizing means tailoring what you require of grantseekers and grantees to apply for and report on grants so that the requirements are proportionate to the size of grant, appropriate to the type of grant, and reflective of any existing relationship with the grantee. In short, right-sizing considers the notion of net grants, that is, the... Read More
Here are several ways to prepare children and teens for foundation giving. Invite them to board meetings Make younger family members feel like part of the group by inviting them to see how the foundation works. Keep in mind that board meetings can be tedious for some kids, especially younger ones. They don’t necessarily have... Read More
The impact investing field has a lot of momentum. Learn from foundations and other organizations at the center of the movement, as well as from foundations that are earlier in the process. Foundations The Case Foundation published a short guide to impact investing. F.B. Heron Foundation is a leader in impact investing. KL Felicitas Foundation’s... Read More