A fairly simple review using any of the following sources will give you information about a nonprofit’s finances. As you get more comfortable with financials or seek detailed information about particular organizations, you can examine financials more extensively: Charity rating services—These Web-based rating services are great starting points for information about nonprofits you are considering.... Read More
As a direct result of a dramatic increase in the foundation’s asset base, the Hutton Foundation decided to offer program related investments (PRIs) to nonprofit organizations. This growth necessitated a quick increase in annual distributions to meet the 5% annual payout requirement set by the Internal Revenue Service. A portion of the foundation’s annual distributions... Read More
10 Ways To Streamline Principles for Peak Grantmaking helps funders reduce the burden of their requirements so grantseekers can dedicate more time to mission-based work. Here are some of their recommendations for streamlining: Right-size applications and reports for small grants. Many foundations ask grantseekers and grantees to complete the same application, regardless of grant size... Read More
When initiated from the ground up—from the nonprofits themselves—collaborations can serve communities effectively and efficiently. Strong collaborations maximize nonprofits’ impact by providing administrative stability; decreasing duplication, competition, and overlap of services; and bringing more diverse approaches to complex social and environmental problems. Funders are uniquely positioned to cultivate and support nonprofit collaborations, and to do... Read More
“Few tasks in the foundation world prove as interesting, rewarding, and exhilarating as the site visit,” write the authors of Grantmaking Basics: A Field Guide for Funders. “Site visits can lift your spirits and enliven your day by reminding you precisely why you chose to work in the foundation world.” Make the most of your... Read More
Most funders ask grantees—prospective and current—to customize their budgets and financial information to fit the funder’s requirements. Project Streamline, a collaboration of grantmakers and grantseekers working to improve application and reporting practices, recommends a different way: Make requests for nonstandard information the exception rather than the rule. Consider the real costs to nonprofits of customizing... Read More