Philanthropic practice

This time it was the catastrophic devastation in the Gulf States. Last time it was the 9/11 attack. Before that were the floods in North Dakota, the earthquakes in San Francisco and Seattle, and Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina, and then

Each time disaster strikes — whether natural or man made — communities face inestimable emotional and economic suffering. When artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions are affected by these disasters, the confusion and bewilderment about what to do and how to help extends very directly to us as arts grantmakers.

2005, 242 pages. University Press of New England, Lebanon, NH, 03766

2005, 24 pages. Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, 1413 K Street, NW, 2nd floor, Washington, DC, 20005

Download pdf: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

This report examines current topics in philanthropic evaluation and showcases innovative approaches to evaluation being used by grantmakers, both large and small. Through three essays and concise, informative case studies, evaluation is shown to be an opportunity to learn about one's grantmaking and to increase its effectiveness.

2005, 139 pages. Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Fieldstone Alliance Publishing Center, Saint Paul, MN, 55107

In this guide, York promotes the concept of "evaluative learning" to help funders use evaluation to build capacity and increased effectiveness in their grantees' organizations. Examinations of capacity building, organizational effectiveness, current and typical uses of evaluations, and the philosophy of evaluations lead to a step-by-step, soup-to-nuts guide to planning for and implementing evaluative learning.

In the Grantmakers in the Arts boardroom, when my fellow board members speak, I sometimes feel like my little mutt Duffy must feel when I say "Go outside, Duffy, and take care of business."

"Blah blah blah, Duffy, blah, blah, blah."

Okay, I'm exaggerating. I understand some of what my colleagues say. More than Duffy, for instance. (Duffy is part cocker spaniel, and there is truth to the saying "dumb as a cocker spaniel.") But I am running to catch up, just as Duffy on her four-inch legs scurries after me on a brisk walk.

2003, 16 pages. The Fund for Folk Culture, P.O. Box 1566, Santa Fe, NM, 87504-1566, 505-984-2534, www.folkculture.org

Download pdf: http://www.folkculture.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=i%2fF30k5JKUk%3d&tabid=67

2004, 132 pages. National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, 2001 S Street, Suite 620, Washington, DC, 20009, 202-332-5084, www.ncrp.org

The full text of this article is not yet available on this site. Below is a brief excerpt.

2004, 176 pages. The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 20037, 202-833-7200, www.urban.org

Download pdf: http://www.urban.org/publications/411067.html

March 2004, 40 pages. The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003, 212-620-4230, http://foundationcenter.org

Download pdf: http://www.foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/practicematters_06_paper.pdf