A colleague of mine recently forwarded a query from a funder that was looking to be more innovative in its grantmaking. This funder asked several questions of colleagues, such as: How many grantmaking staff do you have? How many grant cycles do you conduct each year? Do you offer grants for programs? Operations? Capacity building? […]
Shouting into the Mouth of a Cave Read More »
Are you missing a key chance to change policy? Most foundations know that they can’t lobby directly for a piece of legislation that is being considered by a lawmaking body. But before the legislative process around a new piece of public policy ever begins, foundations can be key players in shaping the landscape for that
6 Ways to Advocate for Policy Change Read More »
The human, economic and environmental toll of natural disasters in the last few months has been nothing short of overwhelming. Even if we sit miles away from danger ourselves, the stories and images of those in need call us to act. But the desire to help those in need after natural disasters can quickly lead
10 Ways Community Foundations Are A Best-Bet For Disaster Giving Read More »
What will you fund, and what will you not fund? It seems like a simple question on the surface, but any funder knows how quickly one can be overwhelmed by the complexity. Depending on your mission and capacity, your focus could include broad program areas such as health or education. Or, it might be concentrated
3 Potential Levels of Change to Determine Your Funding Focus Read More »
Hurricanes and floods on the Gulf Coast. Devastation in Puerto Rico. Raging fires in Northern California. Earthquakes in Mexico. The list of natural disasters seems to be growing at an epic rate, and it’s hard to know where to give to best support relief and recovery efforts. Fortunately, there is no shortage of places that
Community Foundations Keep Giving When Disasters Keep Coming Read More »
Grantmakers are always looking for impact. We define the quantitative outcomes we want to achieve with our funding. We collect qualitative evidence through stories of those whose lives are changed as a result of our work. But we often forget to look for and capture the “ripple effect” of the grants that we make. Here
Looking for Impact? Don’t Overlook the Ripple Effect Read More »