Site visits are a very valuable tool for funders, because they give you first-hand insight into the places and personalities that will put your charitable investments to work. In-person visits are always best, because they allow you to tour facilities, see programs in action, and observe grantees at work. However, sometimes a grantee can be […]
Short on Time and Money? Consider a Virtual Site Visit Read More »
For several years now, funders have found themselves amid a rising tide of metrics and data. We look to numbers to tell us if we’ve “moved the needle,” “closed the gap” or otherwise made progress. We disaggregate data to better understand the populations we want to serve, and to determine where funding opportunities might lie.
Telling the Stories of Change Read More »
“Policy” is a four-letter word within many foundations. That’s probably because policy is a gateway to advocacy, which can lead to lobbying. And that, if done incorrectly, can land a foundation in trouble. Better just to steer clear. Or is it? Think about the work that you do on a daily basis to fight poverty,
“Policy” Shouldn’t Be a Four-Letter Word Read More »
I love developing new grant initiatives for foundations and individual philanthropists. There is nothing more exciting that identifying a problem where you have the potential to make a difference and then putting a plan in place to do just that. However, once the fanfare has subsided, I’ve noticed that many funder initiatives lose steam. Frustration
3 Reasons Your New Funding Initiative Will Falter Read More »
The church shootings that took place in Charleston, SC were horrific, especially for those directly touched by the violence and hatred that spawned the attack. The same is true for Baltimore, Ferguson, and every other place where the emotions of residents overflow into protests or violence. Perhaps the most frightening thing of all is that
Stop, Look and Listen: 3 Steps for Responding to a Community Crisis Read More »
In my experience, few words strike fear in the hearts of foundation grantees like the following, when dropped by a program officer’s lips: We’re about to start a strategic planning process. Aarrrgh! Nooooo! I can almost hear the screams of terror here in my top-secret vacation retreat spot. And who can blame them? A funder
How to Strike Fear in the Hearts of Grantees Read More »