Resources

Topic: “Boards and Governance”

Webinar Recording
Nuance of Words: Re-Framing Language to Increase Advocacy

July 29, 2020 Daniel Le / Boards and Governance, Equity

Reproductive rights and justice are under attack, isolation is increasing the demand for relationship abuse services, society is motivated to take action against racial injustice and oppression. Funders are responding, but if we aren’t intentional about word choice and language, we can inadvertently undermine the causes we’re moving forward. For example, which phrasing allows us... Read More

By Going on the Road Together, Our Foundation Board and Staff Travel Far

July 23, 2020 Mary Anthony Dan Ely / Boards and Governance

“You need to get out and kick the tires,” is one of two key phrases our founder, Stewart Kean, used frequently when advising his board at the 1772 Foundation before he passed away in 2003. The other was, “I want you to have fun.” Although these may seem to be casual statements, Stewart Kean actually was creating... Read More

How Racial Equity Supports Better Grantmaking Practices

July 14, 2020 Afia Amobeaa-Sakyi Brendan McCormick / Boards and Governance, Grantmaking, Racial Equity

Note: This post originally appeared on the GrantCraft Candid Learning for Funders blog. Exponent Philanthropy is on a journey to understand, embrace, and champion racial equity. So, we’re embedding it in our programs and research. For instance, our 2020 Foundation Operations and Management Report explored the relationship between the relevance of racial equity to a... Read More

An Open Letter From Exponent Philanthropy Board Chair, Paul Spivey

June 8, 2020 Paul Spivey / Boards and Governance, Leadership, Racial Equity

Dear Exponent Philanthropy members, For the past 25 years, I have been involved in philanthropy as an executive, board member and donor. The intense racial strife over the past couple of weeks has compelled me to share the following personal and professional anecdotes as well as suggested solutions. Frustration, anger and fatigue are all vehemently... Read More

Should Foundation Executive Directors Serve on the Board?

May 15, 2020 Caroline Wertz / Boards and Governance, Leadership

In the past, I was a nonprofit capacity building adviser, and this question came up often. The principles that applied to those charitable nonprofits can also help foundations. It’s useful to think of this question in two-parts: Should the executive director serve as a board member? Should the executive director be a voting or non-voting... Read More

Webinar Recording
Effectively Partnering with Philanthropy Consultants: How Lean Funders Can Enhance Impact and Extend Their Team

April 2, 2020 Daniel Le / Boards and Governance, Impact and Evaluation

Lean funders learn to hit above their weight class in many ways, including partnering at the “right time” with the “right philanthropic consultant.” Hear the story of growth and evolution of The Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation’s HALO Award program and how this was made possible through an intentional partnership with its philanthropic consultant, Blue... Read More