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Active and open listening to grantee communities is not an entirely new topic for the philanthropic sector. Many funders have acknowledged the power dynamics inherent in their role, and as philanthropy evolves, there has been a shift towards greater transparency, deeper relationship-building between funders and grantees, and more grantee-focused funding practices. Groups like the Fund for Shared Insight and the… Read More

With support from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, NCFP spent months planning an April retreat in New York for foundations that are planning to spend down or considering the option. A pandemic intervened, so last week, we held the gathering online. It’s not an ideal way to meet new friends and share candid conversation, admittedly, but it worked surprisingly… Read More

The philanthropic response to COVID-19 has been dominated by three separate but interconnected themes: (1) Relaxation of standard reporting requirements, programmatic restrictions and timelines, (2) Advocacy for funders to extend themselves past standard 5% payout spending policies and (3) Creation of emergency funding pools or other rapid response structures. While all are worthy of consideration, these trends are not groundbreaking… Read More

We’re eating more meals together than we ever have before. We are getting to know our neighbors better. We see our child or children more hours of the day, and many of us are fortunate enough to hear the sounds of toys and giggles filling our homes. Ok, while all of these facts are true (and my son is adorable… Read More

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published here and is re-posted with permission. What are we going to do to shift the balance of power & resources? Over the last couple of weeks, foundations and donors have made proclamations about how this crisis will change their giving practice. Many have tried to prove how the crisis has been a turning… Read More

NCFP is thinking of all of you at this difficult time. We hope you and your family are well. Like many of you, NCFP has closed its offices and staff has now settled into a routine of working and communicating remotely. For most of us, this is a new adjustment; however, this is not my first stint as a remote… Read More

As the coronavirus pandemic intensifies, philanthropists are struggling to respond. Nearly the entire world suddenly has the same urgent needs: more and better diagnostic testing, personal protective and respiratory equipment, food supply support, and small business support, to name a critical few. At the same time, we are beginning to see huge systemic flaws in our national and global healthcare system… Read More