If you believe your foundation’s only asset is money, think again! Whether managed by volunteers or with the help of staff, your foundation is sure to have a range of assets at its disposal: Human assets—The creativity, passion, energy, and resourcefulness of your founders, trustees, and staff create huge potential for impact above and beyond... Read More
Bringing grantees together is an important aspect of work at the Access Strategies Fund. The fund not only provides grantees with financial support but helps them create a network of organizations in Massachusetts that are working to ensure that the electoral process is fair and open. The work that this foundation funds requires a long-term... 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
Collaboratives offer funders the opportunity to: Exchange information and best practices. Leverage grantmaking and streamline efforts. Work on a larger scale in terms of dollars or visibility. Share risks and opportunities. In some cases, fund jointly. Is a funder collaborative right for you? Read on. Funder collaboratives defined Each of three types of funder collaboratives... Read More
If you believe all you have is money, think again! Small foundations—including those managed completely by trustees—have at their disposal a host of nondollar resources: Human assets—The creativity, passion, energy, and resourcefulness of your founders, trustees, and staff create huge potential for impact above and beyond dollar impact. Knowledge about community need— Foundations accumulate knowledge... Read More
Exponent Philanthropy cannot offer sample bylaws—there are many state variations and characteristics and needs of individual foundations—but the following overview does describe common sections and what a foundation board might expect within its own bylaws: Name—In some states, the first section gives the name of the foundation or other similar details required by state corporate... Read More