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Market Volatility in the Face of COVID-19
COVID-19 is hitting investment portfolios hard with a series of precipitous plunges in asset values not seen since the market meltdown of 2008. The financial news is stomach-churning; all manner of “worst since,” “biggest drop in” statistics accompanied by graphs with lines helpfully pointing straight down in case you didn’t quite get the point. And... Read More
COVID-19: Our Response as Funders
As another week unfolds and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to dominate headlines and impact commerce, government, schools, businesses, and the world economy, we in the giving sector are in no way immune from its impact. Serving Our Grantee Community Although many of us in the Exponent Philanthropy community work individually or with only a handful... Read More
Inspiring a Nonprofit Community
Foellinger Foundation invests heavily in capacity building grants because, along with operating support, they fulfill our mission of supporting effective leaders and nonprofits. The best organizations are always seeking ways to reach, stretch, and grow. Small capacity building grants are often the fuel an organization needs to excel. We’ve learned organizations need different types of capacity... Read More
To Understand Nonprofits’ Real Costs, We Shifted the Way We Interpret 990s
I worked for a nonprofit organization for several years and remember taking boxes of letters and envelopes home to fold, stuff, and seal because we couldn’t afford to pay a service to do it. When I started working at a foundation, I overlooked funding needs such as those, I’m ashamed to admit. We as funders... Read More
Reflective Practice for a Small Foundation
Originally published by GMA Foundations Stories are a core element of reflective practice—methods and techniques that help individuals and groups learn from their experiences. In the social sector, the stories of how organizations make a difference in the world offer insight and hope, yet they can get lost in the day-to-day work. Grantee stories may... Read More
A Grantee’s Landscape Scan Was a Game Changer
When a grantee suggested a landscape analysis of its field to identify barriers and best practices, our foundation questioned it. Our founders worried the analysis would take too much time, and wasn’t action-oriented. But we trusted the organization and moved ahead with about $70K to fund the study. When it was published, the report provided... Read More