Bureaucracy Whack-a-Mole
Summertime always reminds me of beach movies set on the Jersey Shore. There’s always a boardwalk with an ice-cream stand, a Ferris wheel, and an
June 16, 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.
Why Consistent Quality is Key to Your Philanthropic Relationships
On a recent trip to Mexico City, I was delighted to find a Starbucks right next door to my hotel. For a moment, I felt
June 12, 2017
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There’s a Philanthropy-Serving Organization for That!
Call ‘em what you want – in my 18 years advising foundations and philanthropists I’ve seen the terms “regional association of grantmakers,” “funder networks,” “affinity
June 5, 2017
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Three Ways Funders Delude Themselves About Equity
This article was originally written for and published by Philanthropy New York. The original post can be read here. Funders, for the most part, want to
May 30, 2017
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8 Silo-Smashing Trends in Philanthropy
This article was originally written and published for Exponent Philanthropy. Read the original post here. In my work as a philanthropic advisor, I come across philanthropy in
May 22, 2017
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5 Keys to Establishing Trust
When it comes right down to it, being an effective philanthropist means establishing trust with the people you wish to help and the partners you’ll
May 16, 2017
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6 Steps To Stave Off The Post-Summer Panic Before It Starts
Spring is definitely in the air! In between client engagements, I’m getting busy with finalizing summer plans – projects around the house, family vacations, camps
May 8, 2017
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When Tactical Trees Obscure the Strategic Forest
In my consultations with foundation boards, I’ve met many hardworking, well-meaning people who are often frustrated when they can’t seem to get anywhere in terms
May 1, 2017
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Death By a Thousand Data Points
Let me start this post by saying that data is not a bad thing. It informs our decisions much more accurately than our guts, and
April 24, 2017
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Get in the Spirit of Collaboration
Donors and foundation leaders often expect nonprofits to collaborate, but they less frequently turn that expectation on themselves. Yet there is tremendous opportunity to exponentially expand
April 10, 2017
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Innovation is for Everyone
“Innovation” is one of those terms with many connotations, so it’s important to consider what you mean when you use it in your philanthropy. If
April 3, 2017
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The Best Practices You Never Knew You Had
We often look to external sources for best practices, hoping that others have figured out the ideal way to accomplish something and we can simply duplicate it.
March 27, 2017
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