Great Grants: Porter Family Foundation

Posted on November 25, 2013

Tom Porter, president of the Porter Family Foundation, shares his “great grant” story, a grant to the Michigan League of Conservation Voter’s www.greatmichigan.org website. Thanks to the Council of Michigan Foundations for sharing this video from their “Great Grants” member profile series.  … Read More

Foundations Moving On: Ending Programmes and Funding Relationships

Posted on November 8, 2013 by GrantCraft

Whether you are part of a family foundation that runs its own programmes, a big corporate grantmaker, a small venture philanthropist, an NGO that re-grants resources from a back-donor, or a mix of any of the above, exits are inevitable. Funders move on, and relationships with grantees, partners, or investees change along the way. Exit decisions and strategies are complicated;… Read More

Impact Investing 2.0: The Way Forward

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Ben Thornley, Brenna Mccallick, Cathy Clark, Christopher Cox, Colby Dailey, Daniel Brett, Jed Emerson

But for every pioneer blazing a path forward in impact investing, there are many others waiting at the sidelines.They have indicated they need more robust data about the field’s track record. Equally if not more important, they are waiting for a clear vision of what success looks like. What reasonable combinations of social and financial returns can be expected in diverse segments of the industry?… Read More

The Power of Urgency – The Eckerd Family Foundation

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Jason Born

Organized from its inception as a limited life foundation, the Eckerd Family Foundation took a bold and strategic approach to using its assets to create significant change on issues affecting young people, including juvenile justice, foster care, and education… Read More

Communty Foundation Field Guide to Impact Investing

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Mission Investors Exchange

Community foundations serve people who share a common interest—improving the quality of life in their local areas. Given their place-based focus and commitment to activate resources to meet their missions, more and more community foundations are adding impact investments to their toolbox. Unlike grants, impact investments intend to generate both targeted social or environmental benefit and a financial return. To… Read More

Fast Forward to Greater Impact: The Power of Field Scans

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Christine Sherry

Field scans are emerging as a core tool for family funders inundated by increasingly larger numbers of nonprofits seeking funding, the ubiquity of social media pitches, and an almost limitless amount of data available on the web—data which can be more overwhelming than useful. Field scans are particularly valuable for family foundations that want to try a new strategy, find… Read More

Disaster Philanthropy: the Role of Family Giving in Preparedness, Response and Recovery

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Barbara Andersen, Lois Mitchell, Lori Bertman, Regine A. Webster

Usually, disasters bring out the best in people. Donations to charities surge as television coverage increases. Government agencies work closely with non-profit organizations, private philanthropy, and corporations. Yet we know from experience that both coordination and effective spending of donor dollars is a particular challenge, not just while the disaster is underway, but also in the long-term, as rebuilding begins… Read More

No Cost Extension Policy

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Anonymous

Sample language for extending the time required to complete goals of a grant: A no cost extension formally authorizes you to take more time to complete the original purposes of your grant. Please contact your grant team if you would like to request a no cost extension. … Read More