Professional staff have the undeniable potential to further your philanthropy’s impact. Whether you’re currently staffed, anticipating a new hire, or simply weighing your options, here are tips to help your paid professionals flourish. Before a hire: Put your affairs—and your mindset—in order It goes without saying that bring staff on board requires time behind the scenes to... Read More
In 2015, Exponent Philanthropy and partners Mission Investors Exchange and Arabella Advisors released Essentials of Impact Investing: A Guide for Small-Staffed Foundations. This post is adapted from the complimentary and actionable guide, geared to foundations with few or no staff that want to align their investments and missions. Download Essentials of Impact Investing: A Guide... Read More
There was a time not so long ago that nearly all philanthropists, as well as many others, carried a mechanical watch. Prior to cell phones, digital watches, and electrical quartz watches, the mechanical watch was a true marvel—a complex assembly of springs, gears, jewels, pins, and other components. Winding a watch transmits energy into a... Read More
How can a small foundation with a limited grantmaking budget leverage its resources to make an even greater impact? This post shares questions to ask other funders in the pursuit of impact. If one thing is certain about philanthropic impact, it is that the path there isn’t as direct as one might think. Rather, it’s windy... Read More
Do you want to catalyze change at your foundation? Perhaps you want to improve board dynamics, refine your mission, or implement new technology. Many forces can initiate change, and here we explore how your fellow trustees and staff champion change successfully from the inside out. Every situation is different, of course, and we encourage you to use these ideas not as a... Read More
Last year, for organizations positioned to engage young leaders and for young leaders themselves, a colleague and I shared ways to create a welcoming space for the next generation to learn and build confidence. See Are You Creating Space for Young Leaders to Lead? >> Because the challenge of engaging the next generation—and getting engaged as... Read More