Producing audit ready financial records for a private foundation can be an intimidating task—even for financial professionals. With fiscal year-ends that may differ from a calendar year (they do at roughly 50% of private foundations according to Thomas F. Blaney, CPA, CFE and partner, director of foundation services at PKF O’Connor Davies)—there often is no simple... Read More
Giving Beyond Dollars By Henry Berman I speak often about how we as funders can support our nonprofit partners and communities, beyond giving funds. Among the methods we have at our disposal—conveying, advocating and offering connections. Recently, I spoke with Jalen Benson, a first-year medical student, and his colleague Julia Walczak, a nursing student. They’re... Read More
Imagine you are running your first marathon. Coming up on the final mile, your energy is flagging, but you know you can make it. Then, all of a sudden, you see a sign that reads “Finish line 4 miles ahead.” Whether you could physically make it or not is beside the point now. Your mental... Read More
Funders create charts and graphs—visualize their data—for different audiences and different purposes. Sometimes funders serve as unbiased disseminators of data as-is; other times they seek to tell a story—and fast. It’s not that one method of data visualization—as is vs. storytelling—is better or worse. But it is up to you to figure out when your viewers expect each style and... Read More
One of the most valued Exponent Philanthropy member resources is the Foundation Operations and Management Report which comes from an annual survey of the membership. The survey covers diversity and inclusion, governance, grant making focuses, investment approaches, staff utilization and more. And reflecting a broad array of voices, missions, endeavors and histories linked by a... Read More
For emerging young leaders at small-staffed foundations, the pathway to professional growth, advancement, and impact may not always be clear. But, with creativity, courage, and intention, we can take charge of our own development. There is no perfect formula for how to tackle society’s biggest challenges. Nor is there a ubiquitous road map for success... Read More