The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation has a mission, vision, and core values. A seven-word motto, though, most succinctly expresses its goal: Leave it better than you found it. Claude W. Ahrens lived by those words, says granddaughter Julie Gosselink, president and CEO of the foundation. In 1993, after a successful career in the... Read More
Exponent Philanthropy member Janis Reischmann of the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation has spent the past several years working in a close partnership with 10 nonprofits to bring hope to some of Hawaii’s most disenfranchised youths. “The approaches used by our partners are reaching children who were previously very difficult to engage and challenged by typical... Read More
Exponent Philanthropy Senior Program Manager Sara Beggs spoke recently with two Exponent Philanthropy members with experience in collaborative models: Emily Tow Jackson of the Tow Foundation and Liz Sak of the Cricket Island Foundation. Tow Jackson has an extensive history with cross-sector collaboration to change the juvenile justice systems in Connecticut and New York. Sak... Read More
Role for our purposes is not your position as president or committee chair; rather, it is how you choose to behave to match the needs of a situation. Everyone holds multiple roles, adopting them almost without thinking. For example, parents play an impressive list of roles in situations with their children: confidante, disciplinarian, advocate, chauffeur.... Read More
A leadership succession plan expresses an organization’s commitment to continuity and stability. It is a written plan identifying the values and process by which leadership will be sought and assumed when a planned or unplanned departure by key board members or staff occurs. Who is prepared to assume responsibility in the absence of those responsible?... Read More
Here are a few simple tips for good communication with grantseekers. Explain your mission and guidelines Before applicants submit a grant proposal, they need to know your mission and grant guidelines to determine if they are eligible. By making both available, you spare grantseekers the trouble of preparing proposals with little hope for approval. Consider... Read More