A man named Henry was once asked to chair a meeting at his local church. A seasoned military officer and engineer, he was embarrassed when conflict erupted and he lost control of the meeting. “The best of men, having wills of their own, are liable to attempt to carry out their own views without paying... Read More
In the past, I was a nonprofit capacity building adviser, and this question came up often. The principles that applied to those charitable nonprofits can also help foundations. It’s useful to think of this question in two-parts: Should the executive director serve as a board member? Should the executive director be a voting or non-voting... Read More
Choosing which of the many worthy causes to fund is difficult, which begs the question; how bad is it to give to multiple good causes? The answer is not bad at all. However, when we approach charitable giving another way; how can we achieve the most with our resources, the answer is different. That’s because... Read More
What keeps our members up at night? Succession, or the crucial task of passing the leadership baton. Building a pipeline of philanthropic talent to assume key leadership roles—on the board, on staff, or otherwise—is one great way to prepare for succession. Through our Next Gen Fellows Program, a 6-month training intensive for philanthropy’s future leaders, we’ve... Read More
Are you uncertain whether your foundation is benchmarking to its fullest advantage? Do you wonder if you should do more? Benchmarking can be a simple, straightforward process. Your foundation can benefit from it with minimal time and effort, and on any budget. Common types of benchmarking include: Best practices benchmarking involves looking at other foundations... Read More
Dear Exponent Philanthropy members, For the past 25 years, I have been involved in philanthropy as an executive, board member and donor. The intense racial strife over the past couple of weeks has compelled me to share the following personal and professional anecdotes as well as suggested solutions. Frustration, anger and fatigue are all vehemently... Read More