Author Archive
Taking the Next Step(s)
May 17th, 2010
My posts last week were about how best to engage those on the front lines in philanthropy’s work. Of course, your strategy for engagement must be informed by what you’re trying to accomplish and how your organization perceives its role. ...
Rules of Engagement
May 13th, 2010
Some question whether the push for foundations to have well-developed theories of change, goals, and strategies may have the unintended consequence of distancing philanthropy even more from those on the front lines. But instead I would suggest that the way you engage with and relate to grantees and others must be thoughtfully constructed based on how you think about your role as a grantmaker. ...
Through Others’ Eyes
May 10th, 2010
At the opening session of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ recent conference, Dev Patnaik, author of Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy, made the compelling case for philanthropy to develop a “gut-level connection” to grantees and the communities they serve. Patnaik posits that the extent to which we base our strategy choices on a deep understanding of what’s happening on the ground is directly related to grantmakers’ chances of making decisions that deliver meaningful results. ...
assessing performance
beneficiary feedback
beneficiary perceptions
communications
community foundations
comparative data
conferences
developing strategy
Donor Perception Report
economy
effective philanthropy
Essentials of Foundation Strategy
foundation effectiveness
foundation governance
foundation performance
foundation staff/program officers
foundation strategy
foundation transparency
Funder/Grantee Relationships
funder/grantee relationships
funder effectiveness
giving strategy
goals
Grantee Perception Report
grantee perspectives
Grantee Voice
indicators
leadership
nonprofit sector
overall foundation performance assessment
performance assessment
performance measurement
philanthropy
role of philanthropy
social media
Staff Perception Report
stakeholder engagement
strategy implementation
youth
YouthTruth
Lessons from a Risk Taken
I really appreciate your willingness to share this and your assessment of what didn't work out as planned or anticipated. Thanks.
I really appreciate your willingness to share this and your assessment of what didn't work out as planned or anticipated. Thanks.
Lessons from a Risk Taken
Jon, thanks for the comment. If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that the cost in time and effort and dollars were all higher than...
Jon, thanks for the comment. If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that the cost in time and effort and dollars were all higher than...
Lessons from a Risk Taken
Thanks for sharing the lessons learned, and what I sense are second thoughts about the cost/benefit of the whole enterprise. I appreciate the thirst for...
Thanks for sharing the lessons learned, and what I sense are second thoughts about the cost/benefit of the whole enterprise. I appreciate the thirst for...
Foundations and Impact Investing: What Is Really Going On?
Great insight. Sometimes it's great to invest in multiple countries as security as the economy in one country might decrease and increase in another.
Great insight. Sometimes it's great to invest in multiple countries as security as the economy in one country might decrease and increase in another.
Foundations and Impact Investing: What Is Really Going On?
Great questions. It is likely still too early to get a handle on whether the (potential) results reflect the hype meaningfully. However, I will be...
Great questions. It is likely still too early to get a handle on whether the (potential) results reflect the hype meaningfully. However, I will be...
