Funders, make a plan to gather vital feedback on your work in 2026!
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Successful organizations and people have at least one thing in common: they are honest with themselves about their strengths and limitations. As executive director of a mid-sized foundation, I know we do not possess the human capital or spending power to...
From time to time, events at the highest levels of legal and political decision-making in Washington shed light on the importance of nonprofit media and the critical role of philanthropy in the support of journalism. Last week, the United States Supreme Court...
Centering race so that we can advance racial equity requires us to focus on both inward and outward change. At the recent CEP Conference, I presented at a session about philanthropy with a racial equity lens, during which my co-presenters and I shared examples of how...
We’ve all been there. The time when the foundation seems to forget the research project ever happened as soon as the final check is cut. The time when your report stuffed full of creative recommendations gets buried by risk-averse leadership. The time when the...
Almost 20 years ago, I accepted my first job in philanthropy. Right before I started, a mentor of mine asked, “Brenda, who do you think you will be accountable to when you start your new program officer job?” “My new boss,” I said immediately. “No,” he said, “Try...
It’s easy to understand the appeal of impact investing, particularly for philanthropists with donor-advised funds (DAFs). With a DAF — which works like a charitable checking account — donors recommend both how the assets in their fund are invested and where they are...
There is one word that stuck with me across all of the sessions I attended at CEP’s Stronger Philanthropy conference last month, and which hitched a ride home with me as a whisper in my ear that has been present every day since. That word? Listen. Law and...
At Fund for Shared Insight, the funder collaborative I have the privilege of managing, our mission is to help foundations and nonprofits meaningfully connect with each other and with the people and communities they seek to help — and be more open to their input and...
In an era when government has become less capable of solving problems due to increasing political polarization, dysfunction, and fiscal austerity, philanthropists are recognizing the need to support effective policy reform efforts that can break through the gridlock...
While the idea and practice of using feedback to better inform and improve performance is gaining prominence in the social sector, the earliest adopters have been almost exclusively organizations that provide direct services to clients. Providing direct services is...