Tag Archive
effective philanthropy
Will What Was Said in Detroit Stay in Detroit?
May 30th, 2013
Thanks to those of you who recently spent time with us in Detroit during our national conference, Pursuing Results: Effective Foundation Practice. Whether it was an idea from a breakout session, an insight from a plenary, or a promise to keep talking with a colleague, I hope the conference made your trip to the Motor City worthwhile. ...
A Transparency Mindset in the Foundation Boardroom
May 21st, 2013
With its recent report, Foundation Transparency: What Nonprofits Want, the Center for Effective Philanthropy examines the nonprofit perspective, outlining the benefits of foundation transparency to the partners we support. As we continue to explore the merits of greater transparency in philanthropy, I propose we add another dimension to the discussion by asking: What about transparency in foundation boardrooms? ...
Pursuing Results: What We Hope to Learn in Detroit
January 17th, 2013
Practicing effective philanthropy can sound deceptively simple—simply set clear goals, develop coherent strategies to achieve them, be disciplined about implementing those strategies, and use relevant performance indicators to assess your progress. But no matter how clear, coherent, and disciplined you are, achieving the results your intended beneficiaries need is a long-term effort. ...
Who Wants to Go to Detroit?
January 10th, 2013
I was surprised the first time I heard doubts about why we’re holding our 2013 National Conference in Detroit. When I pressed the person, who works in philanthropy, the skepticism seemed to miss the point. ...
Searching for Certitude in the Nuance of Numbers
November 27th, 2012
An alternate, condensed version of this post can be found on the Markets for Good blog. We all know it. ...
Five Hurdles to Nonprofit Performance Assessment
September 25th, 2012
At BELL, we recognize that our ability to measure performance has a direct impact on our scholars, our educators, our programs, and ultimately, our organizational sustainability. The ability to illustrate how and why programs work is a prerequisite to achievement of any nonprofit’s mission. ...
Recasting the Relationship Between Foundations and Nonprofits
September 20th, 2012
In their well-done report, Room for Improvement: Foundations’ Support of Nonprofit Performance Assessment, authors Brock, Buteau, and Herring lay out a vexing tension that exists between foundations and their nonprofit grantees. Their survey demonstrates that nonprofit leaders are hungry for more financial and technical assistance to drive the quality of ongoing performance assessment, while the vast majority of nonprofits receive no foundation support to establish and/or improve our assessment efforts. ...
A Wake-Up Call for Funders: Effectiveness Requires More Support for Grantees’ Assessment Efforts
September 18th, 2012
Room for Improvement is a wake-up call for foundations that seek to promote effectiveness in the nonprofit sector. Based on survey data reported by foundation grantees, it clearly documents what we and others have found: that most nonprofits desire to measure their performance, many are already engaged in trying to do so, and they desperately need resources to do it well. ...
Learning From Failure: The Genius of Little Bets
September 7th, 2012
Let’s say your new job is to help give away money in order to solve complex problems such as climate change or poverty. To protect biodiversity in the Rockies. ...
Gloves Off Wisdom for Donors from the UK: A Philanthropy “How-To”
August 22nd, 2012
I did not necessarily expect to like Caroline Fiennes It Ain’t What You Give, It’s the Way You Give It, but I’d rank it among the best in the burgeoning industry of philanthropy how-to literature. I did not expect to like it because, lately, I have had trouble not rolling my eyes when I see the latest press release for yet another book offering donors advice on how to maximize their impact. ...
2013 Conference
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 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
Will What Was Said in Detroit Stay in Detroit?
While I unable to attend the conference, I was interested in this edition of your blog. As someone who has moved in and out of...
While I unable to attend the conference, I was interested in this edition of your blog. As someone who has moved in and out of...
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.
