Your board is responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms. Trustees must ensure that the foundation follows its articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policies, complies with federal and state requirements, and holds to its purpose to serve the public good. The board also serves as the foundation’s moral compass, protecting it from... Read More
For many years, small-staffed foundations have been at the heart of the impact investing movement, joining with, and at times leading, larger philanthropies. Small-staffed foundations tend to be more agile than their larger, staffed counterparts; they often have more knowledge on needs in certain issue areas and geographies; they’re better positioned to deploy a greater... Read More
Through open communication and detailed grant guidelines, you can build good relationships with potential partners from the start. At the same time, you can help other grantseekers move to different funding sources quickly. Remember, though, these are just guidelines. If you want to make a grant outside of those stated guidelines, you can certainly do... Read More
How would philanthropy be different if foundation leaders spent most of their time out in the community listening, learning and engaging with people? In my work at Exponent Philanthropy, I interview hundreds of staff, trustees and donors of small, place-based foundations. I’ve learned that many organize their work in this way—seeing themselves not as grantmakers,... Read More
It’s that time of year again—the days are getting warmer, daffodils and tulips in bloom, and for many, a bit of spring cleaning. Now, have you considered the same for your investment portfolio? This ten step checklist can help: 1. Has the organization’s risk tolerance changed? Think about the time horizon of your organization, an... Read More
This post originally appeared as a GMA Foundations case study. The Theodore Edson Parker Foundation has a history of prioritizing its commitment to underserved groups in Lowell, Massachusetts, the city in which the foundation was established in 1944. But in order to really effect change and to more closely reflect an evolving and increasingly diverse... Read More