You won’t find bullies on every board, but, when you do, they can be very disruptive—creating surprisingly high levels of stress for fellow board members and damaging the integrity, effectiveness, and impact of the board’s work. Be careful not to assume the other party to any difficult conversation is a bully. Some people engage in... Read More
Not all that much good comes with getting older, but one exception is time spent with the best teacher of all: experience. After 27 years in foundation philanthropy, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to learn firsthand some important lessons, and today I share a key one: Publishing your guidelines, and generally being transparent about... Read More
For funders, especially private foundations, the federal tax rules governing supporting organizations can be important. Grants by private foundations to certain types of supporting organizations are subject to expenditure responsibility and may not be counted toward the private foundation’s annual 5% minimum distribution requirement. The complexity of the rules governing supporting organizations, updated on February... Read More
You probably know the feeling. You’ve attended a dynamic conference, read a groundbreaking book, or had an inspiring conversation with a colleague. You know that if you could just get your boss or your board to act on this newfound knowledge, you could make some real changes that result in measurable improvement—either within your own... Read More
Many nonprofits across the country struggle with financial viability, according to a recent report based on data provided by GuideStar. The majority have less than one month of operating reserves, and 30% face potential liquidity issues. Nonprofits in the education and health and human services sectors, typically reliant on government contracts and fee-for-service-revenue, operate with... Read More
Directly across from the standing desk I use is a bookcase. When peering over my monitor, I’m drawn to the top shelf where, kept at eye level, is a stack of books I have read. They sit there as reminders of concepts I want to have right in my face as I work in philanthropy.... Read More