Voices from the Field

COVID-19 Legislative Update

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Stephanie Powers

Supreme Court building
Editor’s note: This article was originally published by the Council on Foundations and re-posted here with permission. For more legislative resources, visit the Council’s website. Congress Passes $2 Trillion COVID-19 Bill The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act—H.R. 748 (116)—was passed by the House and signed by President Trump today. The $2 trillion relief package will provide… Read More
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Rapid Response Funding Partnerships in the Fight Against SARS-CoV-2

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Will Fitzpatrick

DNA strands
As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, philanthropists are struggling to respond. Nearly the entire world suddenly has the same urgent needs: more and better diagnostic testing, personal protective and respiratory equipment, food supply support, and small business support, to name a critical few. At the same time, we are beginning to see huge systemic flaws in our national and global healthcare system… Read More
Voices from the Field

Philanthropy Needs a New Playbook to Fund Systems Change

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Michael Zakaras, Manmeet Mehta

We are living through an unprecedented, generation-defining moment, full of uncertainty and pain. Naturally, all of us—perhaps especially in philanthropy—are asking ourselves what we can do today to meet an urgent need. But the coronavirus pandemic also underscores the failures of systems—from healthcare to social welfare to wage inequality and food insecurity—that exacerbate the crisis. As we rebuild, we should… Read More
Voices from the Field

How to Best Support Nonprofits through Uncertainty

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Hannah Martin, Center for Effective Philanthropy

How can funders help and support those who are working most directly with and for the populations we care most about? Read “Supporting Our Unsung Heroes in a Moment of Crisis” a series by CEP President Phil Buchanan for timely perspectives and advice. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is complicating an already complex funding landscape for nonprofits. While the need for… Read More
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Bainum Family Foundation: COVID-19 Decisions Must Protect the Most Marginalized and Vulnerable

Posted on March 25, 2020 by David Daniels

boy reading a book
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by The DC Line and is excerpted here with permission. The truest test of any society is how its most marginalized members fare during times of crisis. We at the Bainum Family Foundation―like many others in philanthropy and across the nonprofit field here in DC―have particular concern for one of our most vulnerable… Read More
Voices from the Field

Realigning a Long-standing Legacy Program

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Amy Soper

Although we’re not a faith-based organization, the Bainum Family Foundation honors our founders’ commitment to faith-based education as part of our mission. Stewart and Jane Bainum both grew up in poverty and largely credit their success in life to their education at Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) boarding schools in the 1930s. Our Foundation, established in 1968, was intended to help children… Read More
Voices from the Field

Coronavirus Resources for Donors

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Giving Compass

scrabble letters spelling support
Editor’s note: This was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. Though we all are experiencing a great deal of uncertainty as coronavirus spreads, we’re focused on the impact this will have on the most vulnerable among us. Significant numbers of people in our communities are facing extraordinary challenges beyond the immediate health threats, ranging from… Read More
Voices from the Field

A ‘Balancing Test’ for Foundation Spending

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Dimple Abichandani

Editor’s Note: This article, by Dimple Abichandani, executive director of General Service Foundation, was originally published by Stanford Social Innovation Review on February 10, 2020 with the headline: “A ‘Balancing Test’ for Foundation Spending.” One of the most important decisions a foundation makes is how much to spend each year. As distinct from budgetary decisions, spending policies are the invisible architecture shaping… Read More