Exponent Philanthropy Senior Program Manager Sara Beggs was joined by Exponent Philanthropy members Janis Reischmann of the Hau’oli Mau Loa Foundation and Sheila Leddy of The Fledgling Fund for a conversation about the power of finding a focus. The following text highlights key pieces of their conversation. Beggs: Janis, to start us off, can you... Read More
Our country’s philanthropists have unique qualities and assets that create the power to catalyze change, including financial and human resources, the freedom to take risks and take the long view, and a broad perspective on communities and issues that no one else in our society has. Can more philanthropists embrace their power to provide the... 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
Three funders became activists, brokers, advocates, and catalysts for change. These are their stories. The 1772 Foundation: Creating a revolution by practicing historic preservation The 1772 Foundation in Rhode Island became an expert in its national funding focus: historic preservation. By developing deep knowledge and insight, and paying careful attention to new ideas, it nurtured... Read More