Three Ways Funders Can Change Systems And Drive Impact
“We can’t just put a Band-Aid on this. We need to change the system!” How many times have you heard that statement? It’s true. Most
November 20, 2017
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Practical Tips for Philanthropists
Kris Putnam-Walkerly is a philanthropy expert and consultant. If you find Practical Tips for Philanthropists useful, please consider subscribing.
Shouting into the Mouth of a Cave
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
November 14, 2017
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6 Ways to Advocate for Policy Change
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
November 6, 2017
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10 Ways Community Foundations Are A Best-Bet For Disaster Giving
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
October 30, 2017
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3 Potential Levels of Change to Determine Your Funding Focus
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
October 24, 2017
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Community Foundations Keep Giving When Disasters Keep Coming
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
October 16, 2017
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Looking for Impact? Don’t Overlook the Ripple Effect
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
October 9, 2017
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Innovation and Philanthropy: It Doesn’t Have to be Complicated!
1. Don’t innovate for innovation’s sake. All efforts at innovation should be in pursuit of a compelling reason. Further, that compelling reason should align with
October 3, 2017
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Take the Customer Service Challenge
I am surprised by how often grantmakers see their role as funder, but not as a provider of services for which there are customers. True,
September 25, 2017
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What Does Innovation Mean?
The word “innovation” is ubiquitous in philanthropy. It’s a concept that few foundations have defined, yet many are eager to fund. No surprise, then, that
September 19, 2017
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Are You In End-of-Year Panic?
3 things you can do to calm yourself down and meet your goals There are about 75 working days left until the end of the
September 11, 2017
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4 Ways to Respond to Hurricane Harvey (or Any Disaster)
There is nothing like reports and photos of devastation after a natural disaster to spark one’s desire to lend aid and support. Hurricane Harvey in
September 5, 2017
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