My husband and I created The O’Grady Foundation and, after some trial and error, agreed to focus our funding on the arts in our New York City area. Although we support several major arts and cultural institutions in our region, we concentrate our efforts on smaller institutions with annual budgets of $3 million or less.... Read More
Three Exponent Philanthropy members shared how their foundations were forging ahead during the Great Recession of 2008: Henry Berman, president and trustee, The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation, New York and Massachusetts; Billie Hall, president and CEO, Sunflower Foundation, Kansas; and Mari Brennan Barrera, vice president, Eos Foundation, Massachusetts. Where do you find energy and... Read More
For most foundations, the daily mail brings the usual requests for money and reports on how our money has been spent—and also a steady stream of publications, reports, books, and even videos that are relevant to their program areas. We fund many organizations with limited financial resources and small staffs. Over the years, we’ve learned... Read More
“Too often as funders, we force our grantees to embark on new projects because that’s what we’re willing to fund,” says Exponent Philanthropy member Judy Peckham of the Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation in Binghamton, NY. “Yet, organizations with good core programs often desperately need funds for administrative costs to keep those programs strong. If... Read More
When should a foundation rescind a grant? How is the rescission accomplished? The obvious answer to the first question is that a funder should rescind a grant when the grantee fails to use the grant funds for the purposes for which the grant was made. Most commonly, such failure is because the grantee’s need for... Read More
It’s time to recapture what is powerful about giving. Philanthropy is more than just transferring money. It’s about using passion, knowledge, connections, dollars, and your voice to make change on important issues. Research by Exponent Philanthropy reveals two qualities that put funders on the road to change making: passion for an issue and a curiosity... Read More