This year, Exponent Philanthropy celebrates 30 years of supporting, connecting, and amplifying the impact of lean funders and transforming communities through informed giving. As philanthropy faces rapid change, growing complexity, and ever-increasing community needs, the role of lean funders — and the need for strong peer connections, practical resources, and community-connected leadership — has never... Read More
The pandemic reminded us of something we already knew; there’s no substitute for being in the same room. But the hunger to connect runs deeper than COVID. The U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a public health epidemic in 2023, and noted that approximately half of American adults were already experiencing loneliness before the pandemic even... Read More
“What do you need?” It may be one of the simple questions a funder can ask, and one of the most transformative. In this moment, that question carries new urgency. Across our communities, nonprofits are under real strain, taking on more risk and doing more with fewer resources. Philanthropy is being called to respond. The... Read More
Across the nonprofit sector, an enormous amount of time is spent on grant applications that will never be funded. Some of that is unavoidable. A lot of it isn’t. When application processes are more complex than they need to be, the burden falls on the nonprofits least equipped to handle it, and the real value of... Read More
If you’re a lean funder looking to invest in the future of your community, consider adding youth philanthropy to your portfolio. Across the country, young people are engaging in philanthropy in ways that shape not only their own lives, but also the strength and resilience of their communities. These experiences foster leadership, deepen civic participation,... Read More
Most foundations don’t set out to break the rules. In fact, many self-dealing violations occur in situations that seem entirely reasonable: saving money, supporting a grantee, or simply making things easier to manage. But when it comes to private foundations, the rules around self-dealing are intentionally strict, and often counterintuitive. As Exponent Philanthropy’s How to... Read More