Three years ago in Texas, foundations confronted a profound crisis. For decades, funders working on public education have invested tens of millions and countless hours to support the public schools and the millions of students from low-income backgrounds served by those schools. These foundations have long been committed to numerous partnerships with state government. Their... Read More
When the Sauer family asked me to learn about foster care children and youth as a potential focus area, I decided to go on a listening tour. I don’t want to say that I “scanned the landscape” because I didn’t want to inventory which organizations did what piece of the work. I wanted to understand... Read More
Many common themes in philanthropy today revolve around the promises of “Big Data.” Grantmakers are continually called upon to be more transparent and to share their data, but many have become cynical as past data projects failed more than a few times due to incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated data. A misunderstanding regarding how their data... Read More
Integrity. Responsibility. Accountability. Results. From our founders’ values, the Foellinger Foundation identified a strategy to realize their intent: We seek to fund effective nonprofits that serve children and families. But to ensure there are effective grantees in our community of Allen County, Indiana, we quickly identified a bigger goal of elevating the region’s nonprofit sector.... Read More
Philanthropy is well-positioned to serve causes around the world in creative ways. The following examples from Exponent Philanthropy members illustrate some less common giving strategies that draw on the unique assets funders hold. Use them to expand your portfolio, or be inspired to think of other ways to leverage your dollars, experience, reputation, and time. Provide... Read More
Carol Cantwell, founder of Fun With Financials, works with nonprofits and foundations to build financial literacy and align philanthropy with true financial health. We spoke with her about her Financial Health Assessment Tool designed to dig into grantees’ financial health without requiring budgets, and about ways foundations can let go of preconceptions when they approach... Read More