Tool

Engaging Boards and Trustees in Strategic Learning

Posted on June 11, 2021

Effecting social change in a rapidly changing political environment and an increasingly interconnected world requires foundations to adopt a learning orientation. Without continuous learning, grantmakers—and thus boards and trustees—are unaware about what is working where, with whom, and why, as well as what changes or refinements are needed in order to achieve the grantmakers’ desired results. Researched and written in… Read More

Systems Thinking Toolkit

Posted on June 11, 2021

Systems thinking allows individuals and organizations to understand the complex relationships and contexts surrounding social issues in order to best influence and navigate the system. We have identified several tools that are helpful in this practice, whether you are looking to understand an issue and its system, create a plan for action, or learn and refine as you go. This… Read More

Decision Making when Founders are Present

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Ann Shulman

This is an excerpt from Demystifying Decision Making in Family Philanthropy. Founders accustomed to making their own decisions in a business setting may bring unilateral decision-making to the foundation, often using it inappropriately. Founders may think of the foundation as “theirs” and feel impatient with or dismissive of group decision-making. At the same time, they genuinely want family members to… Read More

Strategies for Aligning Practices and Values

Posted on April 16, 2021 by PEAK Grantmaking

Want to secure more trusting relationships, met expectations, and true partnerships—as well as better, more sustainable outcomes? Discover they key questions you should be asking and the three strategies to connect the “how” of grantmaking to values, strategy, and impact: Develop strategic goals related to improving your grantmaking practice Recognize that grantmaking staff are integral to the realization of your… Read More

Theory of Change, Monitoring, and Evaluation: Understanding an Organization’s Activities, Outcomes, and Impact

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Stanford PACS

Learn how to evaluate a nonprofit’s theory of change, or develop your own. Understanding an organization’s theory of change helps you make your own assessment of whether an organization has sound strategies for achieving your shared objectives. Whether or not an organization uses any particular term is unimportant. What matters is whether it is clear about its intended ultimate outcomes,… Read More

Best Practices for Assessing an Organization’s Wellness

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Sheryl Seller, The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy

The purpose of this guide is to provide tools to assess the general wellness and well-being of organizations that your foundation funds or seeks to fund. This guide considers financial well-being as well as other factors, such as mission alignment and outcome measurement. Although the guide focuses on financial-related information, we encourage you to look beyond the numbers and ask questions… Read More

Discretionary Grants Guide

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Sheryl Seller, The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy

Discretionary grants are those made at the discretion of individual trustees or other authorized individuals, without the standard approval process and/or review by the full board. The purpose of this guide is to detail the benefits and concerns of discretionary grantmaking. We also provide recommendations and key best practices to consider when providing discretionary grants as well as some sample… Read More

How to Do A Trust-Based Grantee Meeting

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project

How can funders approach grantee check-in meetings to foster productive relationships and glean important insights, all while proactively alleviating power imbalances? And how can we consider grantee check-ins  as an alternate approach to reporting? This funder-specific tool offers a checklist of trust-based considerations before, during, and after grantee check-in meetings… Read More

5 Myths of Traditional Philanthropy: A Response to Common Misperceptions About Trust-Based Principles

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project

This guide outlines five common myths and misperceptions that come up in discussions about trust-based principles, and offers clear responses about what a trust-based approach is and isn’t. Use this guide to challenge traditional assumptions about philanthropy and offer new, clear perspectives into the conversation about what it means to take a trust-based approach… Read More

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