Data, impact, and assessment

The Giving Journey: Guiding New Donors to Actualized Philanthropy

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Open Impact

What motivates newly wealthy individuals and families to give? What barriers do they face in their giving? And how can we help these donors give more, more intentionally and effectively? In the report, “The Giving Journey: Guiding New Donors to Actualized Philanthropy,” we examine these questions critical to understanding and amplifying individual giving. The report is based on conversations with… Read More

The Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation

Posted on December 5, 2017 by W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The evaluation profession is multi-faceted and can be characterized partly by its theoretical debates, ethical considerations and proprietary interests. What is evaluation and how can it help your organization? This handbook is designed to demystify evaluation and help you get the most out of evaluation for your organization… Read More

Policy Changes in the Pipeline: How Will New Proposed Legislation Affect Family Giving?

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jay Hutchins, John Mullaney, Sandra Swirski

Tax reform and policy changes are complex topics to understand. How can proposed tax reform affect the work of your foundation? What policies about charitable giving should giving families know about and consider? Are there steps giving families can take to prepare? Join John Mullaney, the Executive Director of the Nord Family Foundation as he interviews: Sandra Swirski, Executive Director… Read More

A Profile of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust’s story is the organization’s relative youth. The trustees hired their first full-time staff member only 10 years ago. In that short time, EFCT has surged to the front of the pack when it comes to supporting grantees to pursue higher performance. If you’re a funder, have you asked your grantees… Read More

What should my foundation consider when reviewing a request for a capital grant?

Posted on June 14, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

While capital grants are technically just one aspect or component of a robust grantmaking strategy, there are a few questions and considerations that are unique to capital grants. There are campaign considerations like a strong fundraising strategy, building considerations like effective design, and evaluation processes. The Eckerd Foundation has provided their guidelines and a discussion paper as an sample model as… Read More

What constitutes operating expenses for private foundations?

Posted on June 13, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Operating expenses, also known as overhead, are any cost associated with operating your organization. These costs can then be divided into two subcategories, direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs can be defined as any expense that is required to develop a project. Indirect costs are expenses that are not related to the actual project. Salaries and office rent are… Read More

Should our foundation focus on being “strategic” or “responsive” in our grantmaking?

Posted on June 9, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

When your board approves a grant, you are hoping and expecting that your philanthropic investment will make a significant impact. In order to become an effective grantmaker, your giving should always align with the core beliefs of your foundation. Beyond this, there are two common approaches that boards take when considering how to allocate the foundation’s resources: strategic or responsive. … Read More

What the Heck Does “Equity” Mean?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

A clear definition of equity would seem paramount to galvanizing philanthropy into action around this increasingly used term—but the field is only beginning to explore what it really means. In this piece, pubslished in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, our content partner Kris Putnam-Walkerly (with the help of co-author Elizabeth Russell) poses some important questions about an infamous philanthropy buzzword… Read More

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