While attending Exponent Philanthropy’s 2018 National Conference last month, I had a surprise: I saw a significant number of grantmakers genuinely excited about getting involved in advocacy! At the closing luncheon, I was seated with Melinda McAliney, Director of the Brown Sisters Foundation and Vario Philanthropy, in St Louis, Missouri. She noticed it too and... Read More
How to catalyze impact for the environment using venture philanthropy—three perspectives from our new member Howell Conservation Fund I’m Brett Howell, founder of Howell Conservation Fund, and a new member of Exponent Philanthropy. My mission is to catalyze teams to achieve breakthrough solutions to the systemic sustainability issues we face on our planet. As a... Read More
Note: This post originally appeared on the GrantCraft Candid Learning for Funders blog. Exponent Philanthropy is on a journey to understand, embrace, and champion racial equity. So, we’re embedding it in our programs and research. For instance, our 2020 Foundation Operations and Management Report explored the relationship between the relevance of racial equity to a... Read More
2020 was an unexpectedly challenging year. The pandemic changed the nature of work, and how we interact with our boards, staff and the nonprofits in our communities. We asked members of the Exponent Philanthropy community to reflect on COVID-19, how it affected their work in 2020, and what they foresee for 2021. Lean funders stepped... Read More
When funders provide general operating support, they invest in a nonprofit’s mission—not just a specific project. This flexible funding allows nonprofits to decide how best to use resources, whether that means adjusting salaries, investing in technology, strengthening fundraising efforts, or covering operating costs. At its core, general operating support helps organizations stay strong, responsive, and... Read More
You are not alone if you feel stuck administering grants for your small-staffed foundation using sticky notes, whiteboards, or spreadsheets. For many lean foundations, the high costs of implementing and maintaining a purpose-built grant management system (GMS) can be prohibitive. However, by leveraging the nonprofit license donation programs from industry-leading technology providers, you can create... Read More