Can greater cultural competency help funders better align their resources with needs? Despite notable accomplishments and donors who care a great deal about serving historically underserved populations, philanthropy continues to struggle to achieve social change for the communities and populations that need it most. Even the most thoughtful and productive philanthropists—including those who aim to... Read More
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
Philanthropy, from the Greek word for “to love humanity,” is inherently a human enterprise. In this business of helping to solve complicated social problems, we’re bound by the opportunities and challenges of working with other people to do so. It can be emotional work, and it’s work that involves very diverse people who span different... Read More
We’ve had the great pleasure of serving as the grantmaking and foundation management partner for Kathleen deLaski and the deLaski Family Foundation for the past three years. The foundation brought us on to help it adapt its mission, vision, and goals in a way that makes the most of the current board’s knowledge, networks, and... Read More
Philanthropy is constantly evolving. Pressing issues and major political, economic, and technological shifts push funders to reassess their approach. Some lean funders—those with few or no staff—stand out by centering their giving on authentic relationships with grantees and community members. Exponent Philanthropy calls this approach Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP), a mindset and practice that... Read More
At Exponent Philanthropy, we believe lean foundations can drive significant change through thoughtful strategies and meaningful community engagement. Malcolm MacLeod, board chair of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, recently shared how his foundation has embraced these practices to achieve transformative outcomes. He discusses this in depth on a recent episode of The Catalytic Podcast: Supercharging Impact:... Read More