Article

6 signs your funding initiative is in trouble

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

I have helped dozens of foundations explore, develop and launch new grantmaking programs and initiatives. In my experience there are six red flags indicating trouble ahead. Investments made now will be easier and less costly than trying to resurrect a failing initiative later… Read More

Should I Give Anonymously or Publicly?

Posted on December 8, 2014 by The Bridgespan Group

Whether or not you “go public” with your philanthropy is a matter of strategy and personal style. Ask yourself, given the change you want to see in the world, what’s the right approach? This short issue brief from the GiveSmart website provides a list of considerations for determining how publicly you want to give… Read More

A Colleague’s Perspective on Trustee Orientation

Posted on November 8, 2014

“Becoming a trustee of a family foundation can be a complex, confusing and confounding experience. Suddenly you are thrust into a room full of persons whom you thought you knew, but now they are all in different roles.” So begins the introduction to this first-person account of the value of a thoughtful and comprehensive trustee orientation program… Read More

The power of taking stock: 5 reasons to conduct evaluations

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, but I am not sure many foundations fully believe that. In the course of working with foundations across the country, I have made a somewhat surprising discovery: Many foundations grossly underestimate the importance of evaluating impact. This is unfortunate, because evaluation is both enlightening and empowering… Read More

Share the Power

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Center for Effective Philanthropy

Funders alone cannot achieve the change we hope to see without the knowledge, expertise and muscle of our collective grantees—just as our grantees cannot implement without funders. We are in a symbiotic relationship, and we should be happy about that. We can work together to achieve our mutual goals, but to do so, we—the funders—need to share the power. When… Read More

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