Strong grantees and their talented leaders are the engines that power the success of foundations. This is true of small and large foundations alike. During Exponent Philanthropy’s (then Association of Small Foundations’) 2012 National Conference session titled “Capacity Building, Stronger Nonprofits, Improved Outcomes,” TCC Group’s Paul Connelly led a panel of leaders from the Leighty Foundation, Arbor... Read More
As funders increasingly seek to supply resources beyond financial support to their grantees, many are engaging third-party consultants to provide capacity building assistance. But how can funders know whether these resources are really strengthening grantees? What are some reasonable benchmarks for evaluating this assistance? We at Arbor Brothers are fervent believers in the value of capacity building—so... Read More
Our goal is to make the McElroy Trust the easiest place to seek funding for good ideas. It’s not the easiest place to get a “yes,” because we see a lot of proposals, ask hard questions, and have high standards. But we try to never make a grantseeker jump through hoops. I estimate that changes... Read More
Question: What does any broker, 401k advisor, or wealth management professional want to know from clients before they invest? Answer: Their risk profile. Some investments are riskier than others, and successful financial advisors need to know in advance how comfortable the client is with risk. But what about our philanthropic dollars, the grants given to... Read More
The Texas Capitol is big. The tip of its dome is almost fifteen feet taller than its counterpart in Washington, DC. Decisions made there impact almost thirty million people. When you enter the building, you can feel the seriousness, history, and purpose. For anyone who believes in democracy and representative government, it is downright awe-inspiring.... Read More
At Exponent Philanthropy, we believe that listening is an essential skill for effective philanthropy. Deep listening helps our members truly understand the needs of their community and cultivate connected and impactful relationships with others. At the same time, listening is a skill that very few of us are ever trained to do well. Once you’re... Read More