As a program officer, I can remember the hours of sitting with our grants committee reviewing proposals. It seemed that we always spent a large amount of time reviewing each applicant’s budget and other financial information. How I would have loved to include Jack Shakely’s LA Times editorial, The Worst Way to Judge a Charity,... Read More
Philanthropy is well-positioned to serve causes around the world in creative ways. The following examples from Exponent Philanthropy members illustrate some less common giving strategies that draw on the unique assets funders hold. Use them to expand your portfolio, or be inspired to think of other ways to leverage your dollars, experience, reputation, and time. Provide... Read More
Debates about philanthropy’s role have heated up since the 1980s, as the federal government cut taxes and support for many social programs, a series of recessions battered the economy, and economic hardship deepened and expanded. In this era of scarcity, philanthropy has been pulled into a much higher profile. Demands come from lawmakers seeking private... Read More
I see dozens of funders around the country making change—catalyzing new ways of doing and thinking—without the support of a sizeable staff. This kind of change is bigger in scope than starting a new nonprofit organization, or helping a promising organization serve more people. Changemaking by small-staffed funders is transforming how people think about and... Read More
This morning I found myself thinking about lessons learned about inspiration in grantmaking from the Girl Scout troop I co-led for many years. Our girls didn’t do grantmaking, of course, but they did do a lot of community service projects. Several of our 11- to 14-year-olds earned the Silver Award, where the girl selects, plans,... Read More
This post is the second in a 2-part series on the role of funders in the lively topic of sustainability in the nonprofit sector. Read part 1 >> The series is based on session presentations made by the author at two regional conferences sponsored by the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State... Read More