A family private foundation creates a structure for charitable giving and a lasting legacy for the family, but it also comes with administrative burdens. Stephanie Yan, GHJ Managing Director and Private Foundation Practice Leader, talks to Pegine Grayson, Senior Vice President/Client Advisor, Director of Philanthropic Services at Whittier Trust, about the mundane but essential tasks... Read More
To paraphrase the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, it’s easy to give away money. However, it’s much more difficult to know how and where to give it. Anyone who has managed a grantmaking program understands. Granting money is not difficult. Doing it effectively is another story. That’s why many leanly staffed foundations often enlist philanthropic advisers—organizations... Read More
What is a net grant and why does it matter? Well, time is money and grantees incur costs while applying for grants. For instance, think about how long it could take a nonprofit to customize their financial documents to your specifications, and language to your unique questions and formatting. According to Project Streamline, nonprofits can... Read More
There is no one path to having a career in leanly staffed foundations, as they operate in almost every locale in the nation. Still, there are qualities, skills and experiences that prepare people to effectively manage small foundation operations, engage boards, and leverage resources for impact. Patterns in Hiring First, let’s look at some career... Read More
Major cyberattacks seem to take place weekly. In recent years, everything from gas production to meat packing has been vulnerable. As executive director of the Middendorf Foundation, each incident raised my blood pressure. While I knew I needed to protect my organization, I didn’t feel like I had the right tools to do so. As... Read More
2020 was an unexpectedly challenging year. The pandemic changed the nature of work, and how we interact with our boards, staff and the nonprofits in our communities. We asked members of the Exponent Philanthropy community to reflect on COVID-19, how it affected their work in 2020, and what they foresee for 2021. Lean funders stepped... Read More