The Foundation Review

The Foundation Review journal is the first peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, written by and for foundation staff and boards and those who work with them. Each quarterly issue provides peer-reviewed reports about the field of philanthropy, including reports by foundations on their own work.

The Experiences of a Foundation With a Limited Life: Benefits and Challenges (MAVA Foundation)

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Lynda Mansson

Drawing on reflections from the director general of the MAVA Foundation and learnings from foundations that have recently closed, this article also discusses how to prepare for the end date of a limited-life foundation. MAVA, a Swiss-based grantmaking foundation for 25 years, has a planned end date of 2022. The article features key lessons for foundations considering closure, and will… Read More

Exit Strategies: The Foundation Review

Posted on May 20, 2019 by The Foundation Review

To examine an array of critical topics for those considering or conducting exits, The Foundation Review devoted an issue to the subject. This peer-reviewed journal includes a collection of articles that can inform effective program conclusions… Read More

Foundation Transparency: Opacity — It’s Complicated

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Bob Reid

Calls for greater transparency from social institutions are gaining momentum in American culture, especially given concerns about the potential risks to society from misconduct hidden from public view. Such concerns have escalated since the 2008 global financial crisis, where consequences of misconduct had broad impact. While social institutions had little role in bringing about that crisis, broadly applied transparency is increasingly represented as society’s best defense against unethical behavior. Accordingly, advocates for increased transparency are acquiring a growing voice in the field of private philanthropy… Read More

Creating Choices Before Making Choices: One Family Foundation’s Journey to Finding a Strategic Focus

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Kelly Medinger

Rooted in business principles, philanthropic study, and reflective practice, this article examines the first step of building a grantmaking strategy – finding an issue or problem to address – and presents a three-part model for creating choices that reflect a foundation’s donor intent, organizational talents and resources, and broader community needs. Ultimately, this process illustrates how a family foundation can find a strategic focus, either for all or simply… Read More

Family Foundations Consultants Guide

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Mary Phillips

Adapting existing research on the organizational life-cycle framework and working from a sample of foundations provided by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, GMA Foundations teamed with Brandeis University’s Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy to conduct a pilot study to understand how planning ahead at each stage could help the foundations anticipate and prepare for likely milestones. The… Read More

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