Elusive Blue Ribbons
Why winning foundations' special awards is difficult, and how it can be made easier.
Philanthropy Innovative ideas for donors, foundation leaders, and philanthropists
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Review: Just Money
Karoff reveals how wise donors operate.
Podcast
Council on Foundations Annual Conference - Philanthropy and Nonprofit Acountability Practices
In the field of philanthropy, are foundations' grantmaking and reporting processes aligned with nonprofits' strategies? In this panel discussion exploring data from a Center for Social Innovation study on nonprofit accountability practices and the costs of conflicting demands, experts debate ways in which evaluation requirements may help or hinder mission delivery.
Luck of the Draw
Grantees of foundations have little control over which program officer takes their case. Yet program officers make or break grantees’ experiences with foundations. To trigger social change, foundations must give program officers better training, clearer expectations, and regular performance feedback.
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Drowning in Data
Funders are calling for more program evaluation, but nonprofits are often collecting dubious data, at great cost to themselves and ultimately to the people they serve.
Ten Nonprofit Funding Models
With an understanding of these 10 funding models, nonprofit leaders can use the for-profit world's valuable practice of engaging in succinct and clear conversations about long-term financial strategy.
What Is Community Anyway?
Our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify, understand, and strengthen the communities they work with.
Ten Reasons Not to Measure Impact—and What to Do Instead
Impact evaluations are an important tool for learning about effective solutions to social problems, but they are a good investment only in the right circumstances.
The Elitist Philanthropy of So-Called Effective Altruism
The superficially enticing “logic” of effective altruism ultimately leads to a moralistic, hyper-rationalistic, top-down approach to philanthropy that can kill the very altruistic spirit it claims to foster.