Strong grantees and their talented leaders are the engines that power the success of foundations. This is true of small and large foundations alike. During Exponent Philanthropy’s (then Association of Small Foundations’) 2012 National Conference session titled “Capacity Building, Stronger Nonprofits, Improved Outcomes,” TCC Group’s Paul Connelly led a panel of leaders from the Leighty Foundation, Arbor... Read More
Long interested in issues of international development and aid, in 2003 I conducted a qualitative study on Barriers to International Giving by U.S.-based Foundations. Nearly a decade later, the findings from this research are still relevant to funders engaged in or interested in international philanthropy. One of the interesting findings from my research was that... Read More
How do you describe what you do? Over the past several years I’ve become a fan of words; how we use them and what they mean. This interest was ignited as I listened to a photographer speak about the way people typically describe how he works. What particularly resonated with me was his discussion about... Read More
During the initial years of our foundation, beginning in 1986, none of our trustees had any prior experience serving on a board of directors for a nonprofit organization. Our accountant told us the dollar amount of required distribution and we divided the dollars among the directors. Each of us then selected a nationally known qualified... Read More
Is my giving really making a difference? That is a question that haunts every giver. Every day individuals and foundations make decisions about where to give. Over a million active U.S. charities provide endless opportunities to support big visions and passionate leaders. The difficult task for those of us screening opportunities is how to know... Read More
As a program officer, I can remember the hours of sitting with our grants committee reviewing proposals. It seemed that we always spent a large amount of time reviewing each applicant’s budget and other financial information. How I would have loved to include Jack Shakely’s LA Times editorial, The Worst Way to Judge a Charity,... Read More