If your foundation encounters an organization struggling with its operations, how can you say no—declining or not renewing a grant—in a way that makes a difference? For our small family foundation, the facts were clear. Getting to those facts had not been easy: The board of directors of the nonprofit we were funding had not... Read More
“We’ve always been interested in young people and their college education,” said Mr. Smyth. While working in Wilmington, DE, he worked with inner-city kids. “That was the real impetus to set up the foundation. When we left Wilmington and retired in Virginia, we decided to create a local scholarship program.” Nelson County, a rural area... Read More
Stookey grew up and attended elementary school in Marshall, a small town just east of Battle Creek, MI. The year was 1936, and Stookey was a 5th grade student of Vyda Mumby during her second year of teaching. According to Stookey, Mumby “loved teaching; and like anyone doing something they like, she was good at... Read More
Private foundations that wish to operate their own scholarship programs—and do the work of publicizing the program, reviewing applications, choosing winners, and monitoring the awards—must receive prior Internal Revenue Service (IRS) approval. This one-time IRS review ensures that your scholarships (or other grants for study, travel, or similar purposes) are awarded in an objective, nondiscriminatory... Read More
In April, Exponent Philanthropy and PEAK Grantmaking both surveyed their members to learn how they’ve adjusted their funding approaches in response to COVID-19. Join Melissa Sines, Programs and Knowledge Director at PEAK Grantmaking, and Brendan McCormick, Manager, Research and Education at Exponent Philanthropy, for a discussion on their different survey results. Read More
Here are a few simple tips for good communication with grantseekers. Explain your mission and guidelines Before applicants submit a grant proposal, they need to know your mission and grant guidelines to determine if they are eligible. By making both available, you spare grantseekers the trouble of preparing proposals with little hope for approval. Consider... Read More