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Understanding the Modern Grantee Experience
Grant applications are an important touchpoint for nonprofits and grantmakers alike. Recently, Blackbaud has been taking a hard look at the modern grantee experience for those who use our portal for grant applications. We wanted to know if the grantee portal afforded our funder clients the flexibility to get the information they needed, while also... Read More
Philanthropic Impact: Key Strategies and Factors
As foundations strive to make meaningful change in support of their missions, understanding what leads to philanthropic impact is crucial. In the 2023 Foundation Operations and Management Report, foundations named insufficient grantmaking impact as one of their top challenges. In this blog, I’ll discuss a few factors that drive impact, as well as strategies for... Read More
Partnerships Equal More Impact
When lean funders combine their grantmaking, influence, and passion, they have more impact than either could individually. The Leighty Foundation (Juneau, AK) and the Lodestar Foundation (Phoenix, AZ) both believe that strategic volunteer engagement can advance the missions of funders and their grant partners. Volunteers are often the first to respond to pressing community needs.... Read More
How Leanly Staffed Foundations Give Employees Health Insurance
After time off and retirement plans, health insurance is one of the most common benefits small-staffed foundations offer staff. Consider, in the 2023 Foundation Operations and Management Report, 78% of foundations offered health insurance for full-time staff. One of the most frequent topics on our Member Discussion Community is how to best go about securing... Read More
A Call for Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy
Philanthropy is ever-changing. Pressing issues and seismic political, economic, and technological shifts move us to revisit how we work regularly. Urgency, passion, curiosity, and the desire to engage drive some lean funders (those with few or no staff) to center their giving around authentic relationships with grantees and community members. This type of Catalytic Leadership... Read More
8 Podcast Episodes for Anyone Who Works in Philanthropy
During the pandemic, I dove headfirst into the great wide world of podcasts. Since then, I’ve listened to tens of thousands of hours across a variety of subjects. Here are 8 thought-provoking episodes I think would benefit anyone working in philanthropy. What are your favorite podcasts and podcast episodes? Please let us know in the... Read More