When philanthropists are at work—even if meeting with nonprofits, bringing together people in the community, or speaking out on important issues—it is their potential to bestow grants that draws our attention. Everything philanthropists do, whether or not it involves the transfer of dollars, is called grantmaking. In a society where money consumes our attention, several... Read More
Too often, grantees do the asking, reporting, and proving, while donors sit in positions to say yes or no, how much, when, and what’s required. Navigating the complex grantee–grantor relationship takes more than just good intentions—it takes flexibility, finesse, and a sincere desire to balance the power dynamics at play. Katherine Lorenz, president of the... Read More
Over the past year, four of us—all women who work as executive directors of foundations with few staff—have been participating in a peer coaching group that grew out of Exponent Philanthropy’s Master Juggler Executive Institute. Because it has had such a meaningful impact on us, we wanted to share some thoughts about this experience and... Read More
Change is life’s only constant. As philanthropists, we will either be undergoing change or driving it throughout our time involved in giving. Whether you love it or hate it, are in a position to react to it or create it, it is critical to our success as change agents to understand how we experience change... Read More
By Henry Berman, Exponent Philanthropy It’s January in Washington, DC, and there is no shortage of pundits, politicians, and pollsters with wisdom as to what the 114th Congress and President Obama will do, or try to do, in the coming year. As philanthropists faced with funding opportunities today, we are likely better served by looking back and... Read More
The life of Martin Luther King, Jr. calls us to remember that truth can be found not only in grant evaluations and reports, not only in surveys and community assessments, or in the vast sets of data available to us as philanthropists. Dr. King reminds us that truth can be found in our hearts. Extraordinary... Read More