The turn of the calendar to a new year inevitably brings a slew of predictions for what the new year will hold. The philanthropy and nonprofit sectors aren’t immune to the pull of the prognosticating pundit. In the past 30 days, I’ve read these pieces (in approximate chronological order): Blueprint 2016 – Lucy Bernholz’s annual [...]
Is the Value of Place Declining in Philanthropy?
All of us walk around with default lenses through which we view the world. The lenses are created through our experiences and relationships, the communities and cultures in which we’re raised, and more. When we’re at our best, we’re able to separate when those default lenses provide helpful perspectives and when they limit our thinking. One of my [...]
Revealing Risk in Philanthropy – part 1
Inviting Your Feedback! Hey there – The National Center for Family Philanthropy and I are asking for your thoughts on risk in philanthropy. For donors and grantmakers: What type of risk most concerns your board and staff? When does philanthropy feel most risky to you? For nonprofits: What types of risk seem to most concern [...]
Trust the People, No Strings Attached
It would be easy to believe that most grantmaking is complex, even to believe it should be complex. Read the philanthropy news sources. Funders are praised for their wall-sized strategy maps, multi-year evaluation projects, and drive for scientific evidence and stellar nonprofit performance. Attend nonprofit and fundraising conferences. Multi-step application processes, long application reviews, and [...]
