This post is the first in a 2-part series on the role of funders in the lively topic of sustainability in the nonprofit sector. Read part 2 >> The series is based on session presentations made by the author at two regional conferences sponsored by the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State... Read More
Let’s say you own a company that makes energy bars. You wouldn’t dream of releasing a new product line without seeing if your fitness-focused target buyers liked it. Similarly, a foundation should not launch a new grant program without checking in with the intended recipients to see if it’s what they really need. Why don’t... Read More
Funders are supporting sabbaticals for nonprofit leaders—and taking sabbaticals themselves—as a way to step back from professional identity, let go of routine, and restore their energy for the long haul. The Durfee Foundation has been a leader in funding nonprofit executive sabbaticals for 20 years. “Since the beginning, our board has focused on leadership and... Read More
Eager to pilot our new Grantee and Applicant Perception Survey with her grantees, Meg Ramsey (The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation, Lincoln, MA) was especially interested to learn what her grantees were thinking about the foundation’s grant process, reporting, and site visits. Anonymity was key, so her grantees did not feel that providing constructive criticism or... Read More
Adapted from materials created by Jessica Bearman, Mark Sedway, and Rusty Stahl for the Talent Philanthropy Toolkit (Version 1.0) Between 1992 and 2011, according to research by Talent Philanthropy, foundations devoted less than 1% of grant dollars toward supporting the recruitment, retention, compensation, development, or retirement of nonprofit talent. In fact, the signals grantmakers send often... Read More
Our foundation’s work in the child welfare system has shown me, once again, that life is powered by relationships and connections. Today, Exponent Philanthropy released the latest video in its Philanthropy Lessons series: Philanthropy Lessons: Working Collaboratively. It echoes how I feel about our foundation’s efforts to improve the child welfare system: We all need... Read More