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Foundation Recordkeeping: A Quick Guide
Without a doubt, giving plenty of time and thought to your foundation recordkeeping system will pay off in the long run. In general, you should keep most foundation files of any significance for a minimum of three years. However, this can add up to a lot of paper! For one thing, if space is a... Read More
Grantmaking for Equity: Essential, Fundamental Practices
Advancing racial equity in philanthropy requires doing a lot of unlearning and relearning. This fundamental set of grantmaking for equity practices are a great place for all lean funders to start. That being said, these actions are just the beginning. They complement a continual journey of learning about systemic racism. Eliminate barriers to entry Don’t... Read More
Creating Grant Guidelines
With 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 quickly move onto different funding sources. “It’s important to remember that our success as grantmakers depends on our grantees’ success,” says Christine Elbel of the Fleishhacker Foundation. “If... Read More
Foundation Transitions Happen: Are You Prepared?
A leadership succession plan is an essential source of guidance, and a commitment to organizational stability, when foundation transitions occur. Specifically, this written document identifies a course of action for when key leaders depart, whether planned or unplanned, permanent or temporary. To illustrate, consider what happened to one of our members: “Our foundation had succession... Read More
Collective Giving and Foundations: Learning From and With One Another
As a co-founder of Impact100 Philadelphia with my colleague Beth Dahle, I have worked in collective giving for the past 14 years. That means: 1. Thinking about member recruitment, engagement and management. This year, we have 454 women members who joined to have their individual donations pooled into our larger collective grants to nonprofits in... Read More
I Used To Be on the Other Side: Reducing the Power Dynamic in Philanthropy
For the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of working in leadership positions at nonprofit organizations from local through international regions. I’ve also worked as a consultant for nonprofits doing strategic planning, staff and board development, and fundraising. I know first-hand what it’s like to run programs, engage in advocacy, and have to... Read More