Great article. I agree that many foundations seem constrained by past practice and other barriers. At the same time, I am sure that there are more funders across the country that are stepping up to many of the best practices that Grantmakers for Effective Organizations(GEO) and others have been championing for years, there is just little visibility beyond their local communities or grantees. One of those foundations is the Foellinger Foundation, a private foundation in northeast Indiana that is now directing more than 2/3 of their annual grantmaking through a special working relationship with twenty of their grantees. Each participating grantee receives a three-grant portfolio that includes multi-year unrestricted operating support, capacity- building funds, and a small capital grant for facility or technology updates. The boards of these organizations meet with foundation staff and board members. CEOs meet in learning circles. There is a facilitated self-assessment every 3-4 years to prioritize capacity building efforts. Since 2008, they have invested more than $20 mil into these organizations with positive results based on outside evaluation. An overview of their efforts and what they are learning about capacity building has recently been posted on their website, under Resources. http://www.foellinger.org
COMMENTS
BY Bryan@CharitableAdvisors.com
ON September 2, 2016 02:19 PM
Great article. I agree that many foundations seem constrained by past practice and other barriers. At the same time, I am sure that there are more funders across the country that are stepping up to many of the best practices that Grantmakers for Effective Organizations(GEO) and others have been championing for years, there is just little visibility beyond their local communities or grantees. One of those foundations is the Foellinger Foundation, a private foundation in northeast Indiana that is now directing more than 2/3 of their annual grantmaking through a special working relationship with twenty of their grantees. Each participating grantee receives a three-grant portfolio that includes multi-year unrestricted operating support, capacity- building funds, and a small capital grant for facility or technology updates. The boards of these organizations meet with foundation staff and board members. CEOs meet in learning circles. There is a facilitated self-assessment every 3-4 years to prioritize capacity building efforts. Since 2008, they have invested more than $20 mil into these organizations with positive results based on outside evaluation. An overview of their efforts and what they are learning about capacity building has recently been posted on their website, under Resources. http://www.foellinger.org
BY JENNIFER STATON
ON May 24, 2018 09:26 AM
Is there a way to get this article in an audible format?