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This is the first in a series of four blog posts reflecting on philanthropy’s first two decades in the 21st Century and hopes for the next one. The first post discusses the public conversation about philanthropy during 2000-2010; the second focuses on 2010-2019; the...
It’s easy to lament all that’s not what it could be in philanthropy. It’s important, even, because critique can lead to improvement. But too many of the critiques I read are generalized, sweeping, and, finally, unhelpful — offering little in the way of practical paths...
As you consider your charitable donations this #GivingTuesday — and throughout the rest of the end-of-year giving season — it’s important to think about how you can make the most of your giving as you seek to affect change in communities and on topics you care about....
This post is adapted from remarks Phil Buchanan delivered to a gathering of nonprofit leaders at the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at John F. Kennedy University’s 2019 Philanthropy Summit in Pleasant Hill, California on October 28, 2019. I have spent the last six...
This 2012 post on foundation governance was, for a long time, the most widely read post on the CEP blog. We are re-posting it here today as part of our “Rewind” series for those who didn’t see it back then — or for those who want a refresher on what habits boards...
The stories of organizations and their growth often get short-handed and personalized with the names of the CEOs or perhaps one or two other public-facing staff. But an organization’s ability to grow, expand its reach and influence, and successfully respond to a need...
My CEP colleagues and I have seen the inside of more foundation boardrooms than just about anyone. It is, perhaps, a dubious distinction – though some boardrooms have amazing views that are definitely worth seeing. But it does give us a little insight into what is,...
As we approach the next pair of Democratic presidential debates this week – the last of which garnered a record-breaking number of viewers – I’m not holding my breath that topics related to philanthropy and the nonprofits it supports will get any more airtime than...
It’s time to take back the discussion of effective philanthropy from those who don’t really know what they’re talking about. It needs to happen — and there’s no better day than today to start. I don’t mean to be harsh. But the fact is that, in recent decades, those...
This post, which originally appeared on Giving Compass, is excerpted and adapted from Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count, the forthcoming book from CEP President Phil Buchanan, to be published April 16 by Public...