Before his death in 1999, Harold Edelstein identified his charitable goals: aiding hungry and homeless people, and contributing to population control. Rather than funding bricks and mortar, he sought to build lives by directly and immediately impacting needy people. “We attempt to fill niches with direct grants to organizations which they otherwise wouldn’t have,” says... Read More
Private foundations are a great way to give. And many foundations use multiple giving vehicles to accomplish their charitable goals. One of these vehicles is donor advised funds (DAFs). This primer looks at how DAFs work and how your foundation can use DAFs to further its philanthropic goals. It covers: How DAFs differ from private... Read More
Illustrating the power of individual, family, and small-staffed foundation donors We are pleased to share with you our annual report, Outsized Impact 2016, which showcases many of our 2016 accomplishments and illustrates the power of small-staffed foundations, philanthropic families, and individual donors. We invite you to read these stories, share them with others, and embrace the... Read More
As a foundation, your success hinges on the success of your nonprofit grantees. And strong leaders play an essential role in the success of nonprofit organizations. This primer explores how your foundation can support emerging leaders in the nonprofit sector. In it, you will: Learn about the obstacles to recruiting and retaining leaders in the... Read More
How do you avoid self-dealing? The IRS developed self-dealing rules to ensure that foundations use their assets solely for charitable purposes. However, foundation managers not familiar with the law can find themselves violating self-dealing rules without even knowing it, or having any self-serving intent. And, ignorance of the rules or acting without malice will not excuse... Read More
Understand Your Grantees’ Perspectives Exponent Philanthropy’s Grantee and Applicant Perception Survey (GAPS) offers foundations a way to gather feedback from grantees and applicants on their processes, communication, and impact. The survey includes both multiple-choice and open-ended questions, allowing foundations to assess key areas like responsiveness, clarity, fairness, and collaboration. Multiple-choice questions cover topics such as: ... Read More