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MacKenzie Scott Gives a Masterclass in Philanthropy
Philanthropy has a new champion. Her name is MacKenzie Scott. Recently, Scott announced that in her relatively short time in philanthropy, she’s given $1.7 billion to 116 nonprofits. Many of the organizations are devoted to equity, and those organizations are largely led by women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. While the amount represents a... Read More
Collaborating to Address COVID Racial Health Equity in Louisiana
In March, Louisiana had the fastest growth rate of coronavirus cases in the world. To help the state until federal dollars were ready, the Irene W. & C.B. Pennington Foundation, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation each donated $400,000 to start a $1.2 million COVID-19 Response Fund—a request from Governor... Read More
Nurturing a Culture of Curiosity, Inquiry and Innovation
As funders seek to leverage their resources for impact and change, many ignore a powerful asset right under their gaze. This hidden asset is the donor, board member, family member, or staff person who possesses curiosity—the drive to venture out into the community or field to listen, talk with people, and learn. From interviews with... Read More
By Going on the Road Together, Our Foundation Board and Staff Travel Far
“You need to get out and kick the tires,” is one of two key phrases our founder, Stewart Kean, used frequently when advising his board at the 1772 Foundation before he passed away in 2003. The other was, “I want you to have fun.” Although these may seem to be casual statements, Stewart Kean actually was creating... Read More
How You Can Discern and Inspire Promising New Ideas—Before Anyone Else
Many foundations avoid being the first funder of new initiatives. For the Blackstone Ranch Institute, being first-in is often the ultimate sweet spot. For over a decade, our foundation has been placing early philanthropic investments in a broad range of new initiatives in the environment and sustainability fields. Very often they have been the first... Read More
How Racial Equity Supports Better Grantmaking Practices
Note: This post originally appeared on the GrantCraft Candid Learning for Funders blog. Exponent Philanthropy is on a journey to understand, embrace, and champion racial equity. So, we’re embedding it in our programs and research. For instance, our 2020 Foundation Operations and Management Report explored the relationship between the relevance of racial equity to a... Read More