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
Experts and experience have shown that the most effective grantmaking in response to a disaster follow the “Four Cs”: Connect with a good source of information about the disaster. Local organizations are already at the scene, know best what is needed, and understand the complex political, social, and cultural context. You might call on: The... Read More
A fairly simple review using any of the following sources will give you information about a nonprofit’s finances. As you get more comfortable with financials or seek detailed information about particular organizations, you can examine financials more extensively: Charity rating services—These Web-based rating services are great starting points for information about nonprofits you are considering.... Read More
Should small foundations use social media? Increasingly, the answer is yes because grantees, colleagues, and thought leaders are having important conversations online. But, for small foundations with few or no staff, dipping your toes into social media may feel daunting at first. Technology changes so fast, and it’s hard for even tech-savvy types, much less... Read More
Foundations can no longer rely on fixed income investments to generate strong returns with low risk. As returns on fixed income have declined, many foundations have taken on more risk (via equity investments) to fill the earnings gap. What if there is a way for your foundation to generate investment income without changing your risk... Read More
The past 10 years have been exciting ones for the Hill-Snowdon Foundation and the Snowdon family. For 40 years prior, we acted as a typical family foundation, coming together once a year to nominally approve grants recommended by family members. We funded some wonderful organizations reflecting the varied interests of the family, but you would... Read More