Funders scan to learn everything there is to know about an issue. They scan to uncover key needs, especially those that are overlooked. They also scan to find out more about their chosen focus areas and to design or refine their strategies. Through scanning, you can learn about promising programs, unsuccessful strategies, barriers to progress,... Read More
Over the past 10 years, nonprofits and funders have come to increasingly respect the role media plays in their strategies for social change. From positioning to coalition-building to educating, targeted media efforts are helping funders construct meaningful relationships with key audiences and showcase and elevate their causes, their grantees, and the power of philanthropy. Smart... Read More
Without open, honest conversations, funders can’t learn what nonprofits really need to deliver outcomes desired by funders, grantees, and, most of all, people and communities in need. One of the biggest barriers to getting the complete story is the lack of trust between funders and grantees. Another task is creating the conditions necessary to listen... Read More
Started in 1994 by Catherine Muther, a former Cisco Systems executive, Three Guineas Fund “promotes social justice by expanding access to economic opportunity for women and girls.” One would think that a mission so considerable requires a large staff and endowment, but Three Guineas Fund, with assets less than $6 million and only one full-time... Read More
In philanthropy, going public refers to intentionally engaging publicly with the communities, causes, and conversations that matter to you and your mission. Some philanthropists decide to operate in the public realm early on. Many others, though, go public at some point over time, often when they feel compelled to act. However it emerges, going public... 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