Grantmaking Strategy and Evaluation

Creating Choices Before Making Choices: One Family Foundation’s Journey to Finding a Strategic Focus

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Kelly Medinger

Rooted in business principles, philanthropic study, and reflective practice, this article examines the first step of building a grantmaking strategy – finding an issue or problem to address – and presents a three-part model for creating choices that reflect a foundation’s donor intent, organizational talents and resources, and broader community needs. Ultimately, this process illustrates how a family foundation can find a strategic focus, either for all or simply… Read More

The Story of How the Civil Marriage Collaborative Helped America Embrace Marriage Equality

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Proteus Fund

There were many forces at work in this historic change: tenacious leaders and litigators, coalitions of diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations, straight individual and organizational allies, elected officials, celebrities, and most important, hundreds of thousands of individuals, couples and families at the grassroots level… Read More

How Social Justice Giving Honors Our Roots and Strengthens Communities – NCRP

Posted on July 21, 2016 by National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

In this paper, we offer a snapshot of family philanthropy as it often is practiced today, including what makes traditional family philanthropy different from other forms. It is our hope that our suggestions will be considered when developing strategy, both by family funders for whom our research rings true, and for those whose experiences differ. … Read More

Is there a database for donors to find great grants/nonprofits to fund?

Posted on July 21, 2016 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Every year, our family foundation considers new causes and grantees to support. Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, the foundation staff would like to know if there is a database or another resource that captures great grantseeker requests for funding. To our knowledge there does not (yet) exist a one-stop-shop for grantmakers looking to navigate requests for funding. However,… Read More

How do family foundations typically provide discretionary grants?

Posted on July 21, 2016 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Q: How do family foundations typically provide discretionary grants? What about for committee members that aren’t board members? A: According to our 2015 Trends in Family Philanthropy study, “Most family foundations (85 percent) allow individual board members to recommend discretionary grants for foundation funds.” Each family foundation ultimately has to find the balance that’s right for them! NCFP has published two issue… Read More

Making Big Bets for Big Results

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Chris Addy, Denis Chicola, Jennie Lehua Watson, Matt Foreman

Bridgespan research reveals that 80% of the biggest donors aim for dramatic social change with their giving, yet only 20% of the biggest gifts (for research purposes, identified at $10M or above) over the past decade plus have gone to such causes. The Bridgespan Group identified a number of barriers and stories of how some donors were getting beyond them… Read More

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