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Top Ten Philanthropy Resources: May part 2

Friday, May 20, 2016

Our top ten philanthropy resources from around the sector including why philanthropy should address race and racism, not just diversity in the workplace, reflections on building grantee fundraising capacity, and a call for family foundations to incorporate risks and values into their conversations. 

  1. Melissa Beck, Executive Director of The Educational Foundation of America, reflects on her recent panel participation on active ownership versus disinvestment. The panel suggested starting small, keeping expectations low, delivering high, surrounding oneself with experienced professionals, conducting due diligence, and keeping in conversation with colleagues.  
  2. Tamara Copeland challenges philanthropy to go beyond talks of diversity in the workplace, suggesting “if we don’t also dig deeper into the issues of race and racism and their impact on our day-to-day lives, we will have only touched the surface of the social and racial inequities that continue to plague this country.”
  3. Rick Moyers of the Meyer Foundation reflects on their approach to building grantee fundraising capacity, and the three ways they would do so differently had they previously understood that building fundraising capacity means hard work in changing organizational culture. 
  4. Effectiveness is not something we are born with, but something we must develop through our practices and habits. Heather Peeler gives seven habits of effective grants managers to encourage others to practice the same.
  5. While risk is apparent in many other forms of philanthropy, Tony Macklin argues the idea is muddied when it comes to family philanthropy. He outlines 5 windows into risk in family philanthropy from which to build conversations for your own family or organization. 
  6. Ten Questions to Help Start the Values Conversation (National Center for Family Philanthropy)
    Suzanne Hammer writes that knowing why you give is as important, if not more, than how much you give. These 10 questions will help family philanthropists identify their values to help shape future action and investment. 
  7. Philanthropy Lessons: Who Knows More? (Exponent Philanthropy)
    Carrie Avery, president of the Durfee Foundation, shares lessons learned in seeking feedback from grantees in structuring programs. 
  8. Philanthropic Futurist Trista Harris gives three suggestions for philanthropic leaders to both understand and begin to create futures they desire for their communities.
  9. Danielle Garbe of Sherwood Trust and Caroline Miceli of Satterberg Foundation share results of the Washington State Leadership Scan which asked nonprofit leaders what foundations can do to better invest in human capital to strengthen the nonprofit sector.  
  10. Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Arcus Foundation, reflects on a recent question posed to a panel regarding funding statistically “insignificant” populations. While philanthropy may not solve every problem, he encourages other funders to consider small populations that are the most vulnerable in our society.