Philanthropic practice

Foundations think they're doing the right thing by requiring grantees to form partnerships with each other. There are, however, two sides to every story, and grantees share their stories of frustration here.

Free online from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

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The president and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors discusses what's on the minds of the people who control philanthropy's purse strings.

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   15 Minutes with Melissa Berman (238Kb)

This article looks at the delicate relationship between non-profits and donors. It stresses the responsibility for honest and efficient communication and examines a new breed of donors who consider themselves investors and seek much more information in the non profits they fund.

Available free from the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

This article takes a look at strategic or effective philanthropy—funding which actively seeks to efficiently achieve a donor's goals—and assesses some ways in which strategic philanthropy is structured.

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   Smart Money (3.35Mb)

Council on Foundations Annual Conference, May 1, 2001

Craig McGarvey, The James Irvine Foundation

From a position of received privilege, how should one behave so that it might be put to productive use as people are learning to get better at their work? This is a central question facing philanthropy, and it figured centrally in preparations for today. How to say something appropriate and helpful under such extraordinary circumstances?

There was the problem that no single foundation's body of work could possibly measure up to being singled out.

More than 100 sources were interviewed, consulted, or literature reviewed for information for this study on Native American Philanthropy.

"Native communities have always practiced various forms of giving, from rituals and religious ceremonies to auctions and art fairs." Read on as this study explains how Native American communities have always been involved with, and are increasing their visibility in philanthropy.

Download pdf from Native Americans in Philanthropy.

First Nations Development Institute and Native Americans in Philanthropy convened a group of Native philanthropic leaders in Minneapolis/St. Paul on September 14 2005, to discuss how we can better support the development of Native foundations and Native philanthropy. The objective of this meeting was to provide insight and input into the design and implementation of a structure to support the further development of Native foundations and Native philanthropy through technical assistance, advocacy and research.

This report presents key findings from a study of large foundations' giving to Native American causes and concerns. It addresses the real dollar value of grantmaking from 1989-2002, top donors and top recipients, and the general purposes to which grants are targeted. The pamphlet concludes with a discussion of what the data imply (and in particular, what action they ought to motivate) for foundations, Native-serving nonprofits, and tribal governments.

The story of how the Boston Foundation became the first community foundation to develop and implement policy on exercising its proxy votes on investments to advance its mission.

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   What Works (5.9Mb)

This book features profiles of 18 family foundations and giving groups that have developed unique or noteworthy programs of arts giving, reflecting the values and character of the donors in a variety of ways. Interviews with principals and trustees from each foundation provide further insights to how these programs were developed and realized.

90 pages, perfect bound
ISBN 0-9705157-4-X