Just as each company has its own personality, each company has its own way of giving. That said, companies can get the social thumbs-up in two common ways: through corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Corporate philanthropy includes a range of voluntary charitable activities, such as giving cash, contributing products or services, volunteering, or... Read More
“Innovation is in the eye of the beholder,” says Sandy Herz, director of global partnerships at the Skoll Foundation. “Different foundations see it in different ways.” Convening grantees may be innovative for some foundations, even though others have been doing so for years. Or, another foundation might add program related investments to its grantmaking portfolio,... Read More
In growing numbers, Exponent Philanthropy members are heading online to receive and review applications, generate award letters, receive grant reports, and much more. What advantages do members report? Less paper, more time Grantmaking involves many administrative tasks—from distributing applications for review to sending grant agreements—and many of the tasks are repetitive and tedious. Rather than... Read More
There truly is nothing mysterious or glamorous about convening: It simply means gathering a group of people around a clear, common purpose. Yet, many consider this straightforward tool to be a funder’s most underrated one. Some Exponent Philanthropy members doubt they have the expertise. However, with the freedom and flexibility to make things happen fast, small-staffed funders... Read More
Consider a foundation with assets of $10 million. A foundation of that size would be required to disburse $500,000 annually to satisfy the 5% distribution requirement. Although you are (hopefully) carefully working to decide who gets what portion of this $500,000, the remaining $9.5 million also needs your attention. $9.5 million. If the sheer size... Read More
For starters, which foundations should consider having a pension plan? One consideration is eligibility: Any foundation that compensates any individuals for their services, whether those individuals are full-time employees, part-timers, or board members, can set up a pension plan for those individuals. Of course, tax-exempt organizations don’t gain the same tax benefits from pension contributions... Read More