According to a 2014 Center for Effective Philanthropy report, donor satisfaction is key for retaining donors to community foundations. Simply put, “The strongest predictors of donor satisfaction are donors’ sense of the foundation’s level of responsiveness when they need assistance and donors’ perceptions of the foundation’s impact on the community.” Many small-staffed community foundations already... Read More
One of the most sought-after goals in philanthropy is finding effective solutions to society’s problems. Foundations are well positioned to accomplish this. Free from the pressure of pleasing customers, voters, and shareholders, foundations can focus their money and knowledge on supporting people and organizations testing new approaches to pressing social and environmental issues. As many... Read More
In the 10-plus years I’ve been a consultant to foundations—and the 20-plus years I’ve been a family foundation trustee—I’ve noticed a phenomenon I’ve come to call the “trustee pendulum.” Trustees often start out very engaged in grantmaking, reviewing all grants (often to organizations they know well) and managing the grantmaking process, which is typically quite... Read More
Like many private foundations, ours has historically kept a relatively low profile. That all changed a decade ago when our board and staff embarked on a strategic planning process. It became clear through its community conversations, interviews, and research that our foundation had a real opportunity to extend our impact by improving our communications. We... Read More
Your community foundation is working hard to get your donors involved and help them understand the importance of supporting not only their own favorite causes, but also the most pressing community needs identified by your team and board of directors. You are also closely watching key trends in philanthropy: Families want to be involved in... Read More
A man named Henry was once asked to chair a meeting at his local church. A seasoned military officer and engineer, he was embarrassed when conflict erupted and he lost control of the meeting. “The best of men, having wills of their own, are liable to attempt to carry out their own views without paying... Read More