Imagine your neighborhood, town, city, or rural community is facing a significant need or an exciting opportunity, yet it is lacking the financial resources to respond. Too often, the funding and decisions that shape our communities are made far from home without local voices at the table. Even when wealth has been built from the... Read More
Explore findings from the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s July 2025 report, Voices That Matter: How Nonprofits and Foundations Engage With the Communities They Support. The report sheds light on how organizations gather community feedback, where gaps remain, and what funders can do differently. You’ll also hear from Exponent Philanthropy members on how lean funders build... Read More
Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP) is a mindset that transforms lean funders from grantmakers into changemakers. Rooted in humility, passion, curiosity, and patience, CLIP encourages funders to build deep relationships, understand the systems in which they work, and use every asset at their disposal—not just dollars—to spark lasting change. This case study shows how Colleen... Read More
In today’s rapidly changing world, where urgent needs, economic uncertainty, and a historic transfer of wealth are reshaping philanthropy, foundations are reexamining a core question: Should they exist in perpetuity or spend down their assets within a set timeframe? This debate isn’t new, but it feels especially relevant as funders weigh their desire for a... Read More
In today’s complex philanthropic landscape, traditional grantmaking often falls short of addressing deep-rooted societal challenges. Many funders devote most of their time to making grants rather than tackling the systems and structures that sustain these problems. What Is Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy? Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP) is a values-driven approach that reimagines how lean... Read More
No topic in private foundation rules generates more questions than self-dealing. These rules are designed to ensure that foundation assets are used for charitable purposes, not private benefit, by prohibiting certain transactions between the foundation and its insiders (called disqualified persons). The rules are strict: Even minor transactions, or ones that seem to benefit the... Read More