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Lessons From a Founder Winding Down Their Foundation
In 1993, well before I left my job as CEO of Applied Materials, my wife Becky and I started our family foundation. Giving brings us joy. At the same time, we thought giving locally was important in Silicon Valley, where great need exists alongside great wealth. Becky and I wanted to identify good nonprofits and... Read More
Grantmaking Basics: Creating Grant Guidelines
Grant guidelines are a great way to communicate your interests and strategies to potential grantees, making it clear what you fund and how to apply. The clearer your guidelines, the more likely you are to receive grant applications that align with your interests. This will save you time in screening and responding to unsuitable proposals... Read More
Foundation Transitions Happen: Are You Prepared?
A leadership succession plan is an essential source of guidance, and a commitment to organizational stability, when foundation transitions occur. Specifically, this written document identifies a course of action for when key leaders depart, whether planned or unplanned, permanent or temporary. To illustrate, consider what happened to one of our members: “Our foundation had succession... Read More
Why Your Net Grant Matters
What is a net grant and why does it matter? Well, time is money and grantees incur costs while applying for grants. For instance, think about how long it could take a nonprofit to customize their financial documents to your specifications, and language to your unique questions and formatting. According to Project Streamline, nonprofits can... Read More
Collective Giving and Foundations: Learning From and With One Another
As a co-founder of Impact100 Philadelphia with my colleague Beth Dahle, I have worked in collective giving for the past 14 years. That means: Thinking about member recruitment, engagement and management This year, we have 454 women members who joined to have their individual donations pooled into our larger collective grants to nonprofits in the... Read More
I Used To Be on the Other Side: Reducing the Power Dynamic in Philanthropy
For the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of working in leadership positions at nonprofit organizations from local through international regions. I also have worked as a consultant for nonprofits doing strategic planning, staff and board development, and fundraising. I know firsthand what it’s like to run programs, engage in advocacy, and have... Read More