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Community foundations are beginning to deepen and shift how they work, adopting an anchor mission that seeks to fully deploy all resources to build community wealth. Moving into territory relatively uncharted for community foundations, they are taking up impact investing and economic development — some in advanced ways, others with small steps. This report offers an overview of how 30 representative community foundations — including The Seattle Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation — are working toward adopting this new anchor mission.
This Democracy Collaborative report was written by Marjorie Kelly, Senior Fellow and Director of Special Projects and Violeta Duncan, Community Development Associate.
Grantmaking at the Crossroads is a workbook designed to provide foundations with a new grantmaking methodology that works at the intersection of place, population, and issue. It offers a pathway to greater inclusion of communities that are often excluded or marginalized by foundation funding and enables foundations to maintain their focus and priorities while expanding their reach and effectiveness.
The Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation volunteered to be laboratories for Grantmaking at the Crossroads and have been critical informants for this workbook. Each of these foundations holds an unwavering commitment to ongoing learning; this publication would not have happened without their support and engagement and the financial support of the Arcus Foundation.
This case study of the Council of Michigan Foundations' Peer Action Learning Network (PALN) is one of six examined in a report from New York University's Wagner Research Center for Leadership in Action, commissioned by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. The PALN case study, along with the other five, explores the power of learning communities to build connections and knowledge to increase organizations’ community impact. It explains ways grantmakers can strategically support these efforts as well as key elements for designing learning communities, executing for success and extending the learning.
This tool for unstaffed foundations includes an accountability self-assessment and a legal checklist. It is divided into nine topic sections, each of which is divided into three levels, which can help foundations tailor the tool to meet their specific interests and needs. Also included are an Excel spreadsheet to help tabulate responses, an extensive accountability resource list, and a glossary of key words and concepts used in the tool.
Developed in partnership with United Philanthropy Forum and Northern California Grantmakers, this guide shares seven practices and 12 tools for Philanthropy-Serving Organizations who seek effective ways to mobilize resources to sustain their organization’s work. The guide features perspectives from dozens of leaders of national and regional PSOs and examples from our work with these organizations. Much of the content is based on conversations and strategy work with PSO leaders, staff and board members.
From the Commonfund, these white papers on investment policy statements, spending policy, board governance and risk tolerance, together with their most recent studies of investments at private and community foundations, operating charities and nonprofit healthcare organizations are made available though CNJG's Investment Forum for Foundations and Endowments.
This new report from CNJG and partners examines the response of foundations, corporations, and other institutional donors to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Numbering nearly 600, these funders have so far committed more than $380 million for relief, recovery and building efforts. The hard data and reflective observations in the report contribute to the growing body of knowledge that helps foundations and corporations be strategic and effective with their giving when disaster strikes.
Two years after the historic storm, Philanthropy & Hurricane Sandy: A Report on the Foundation & Corporate Response breaks down the allocation of dollars contributed thus far and offers perspective on the role of private giving in disaster response and lessons to be taken from this one. The report was published by the Foundation Center in partnership with the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers and Philanthropy New York, and with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
“Throughout the past two years, our exceptional nonprofit and funder community has taken on challenges they never imagined,” said Nina Stack, president of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers. “These organizations continue to develop innovative solutions that other communities will learn from and build upon in future disasters.”
In addition to the report’s numerous funders, CNJG wishes to thank the PSEG Foundation for supporting this project.
This paper explores community democracy as a cultural choice and a potential organizing system for philanthropy using stories that demonstrate its principles and practices, primarily growing from the experience of northern California communities. This experience offers a framework of principles and a beginning set of conclusions about how philanthropy can develop productive partnerships from the perspective of a place-based, community democracy.
Capacity building enables nonprofit leaders and organizations to develop the skills and resources they need to improve their work. Since each situation is unique and circumstances are always changing, effective capacity-building support is tailored to best suit the needs of grantees. This publication offers practical guidance and considerations to help grantmakers design an impactful approach.