“We’ve always been interested in young people and their college education,” said Mr. Smyth. While working in Wilmington, DE, he worked with inner-city kids. “That was the real impetus to set up the foundation. When we left Wilmington and retired in Virginia, we decided to create a local scholarship program.” Nelson County, a rural area... Read More
People say that one can be overtaken by vast waves of love and despair in Africa. “This is poverty,” warns Unitus Vice President Kate Cochran. “More palpable, deeper, and somehow more stark than anyplace else on the planet.” It took me decades to get to Africa. My early years were preoccupied with the privileges that... Read More
For most foundations, the daily mail brings the usual requests for money and reports on how our money has been spent—and also a steady stream of publications, reports, books, and even videos that are relevant to their program areas. We fund many organizations with limited financial resources and small staffs. Over the years, we’ve learned... 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
With more than 2,100 members, SVP is a global network of philanthropists with affiliates in 25 cities across North America and Japan. Since 1997, we’ve given $40 million and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to strengthen nonprofits that are improving the lives of children and protecting our environment. Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) helps... Read More
In addition to paying careful attention to how your foundation is governed, it’s also important to think about how your nonprofit grantees are governed. Here’s a checklist to consider when evaluating a potential grantee. How is the nonprofit’s financial health? Does the grantee have at least one financial expert on its board? If not, does... Read More