“There’s almost no strictly ‘local’ philanthropy anymore,” says Exponent Philanthropy member Betty Curtis of the Atkinson Foundation in California. “As we become aware of how totally and globally our economic, social, and political lives are intertwined, we have the opportunity to design our grantmaking accordingly.” Even modest grants can have significant reach in developing countries.... Read More
What are we trying to achieve with our grants? You can answer this question in many ways, and one way to start is with how and what you fund. These components shape your philanthropic orientation, the unique way that your foundation approaches the funding process. The how of your giving hinges on how you choose... Read More
To create change, you first have to “create an open will to change,” says Kelly Medinger of The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation in Baltimore, MD—a will that is built on at least three elements: Trust—One study suggests that emotional involvement is the strongest predictor of one’s commitment to change. Emotional involvement, in... Read More
Writes Ken Berger, former president of Charity Navigator: A while ago, a researcher on the nonprofit landscape created a list of every “information intermediary” (including Charity Navigator, GuideStar, BBB, etc.) and calculated there were over 100 of us. . . . Whatever barriers to entry there were in starting such groups have largely dissolved, given... Read More
There is always room—and a need—to keep learning, adapting, and improving. Embrace continual learning People learn in different ways: through formal training, conversation, coaching, reading, doing, and, most often, through a combination of all these. It’s important to develop a learning agenda for yourself and your organization, including the most effective and feasible ways to... Read More
The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation has a mission, vision, and core values. A seven-word motto, though, most succinctly expresses its goal: Leave it better than you found it. Claude W. Ahrens lived by those words, says granddaughter Julie Gosselink, president and CEO of the foundation. In 1993, after a successful career in the... Read More