Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons^™

The Family Difference? Exploring The Congruence In Grant Distribution Patterns Between Family And Independent Foundations, Jasmine Mcginnis, Shena Ashley

The Foundation Review

· Using a broad group of family and independent foundations from a representative sample of Georgia foundations, the authors examined differences in giving patterns between family and independent foundations.

· Findings confirm the result of previous work that studied large foundations.

· There are no substantial differences between family and independent foundations’ preferences even when controlling for a nonprofit’s location and size.

· These findings are relevant for discussions about the role of non-family members on boards.

A Hedgehog Moment: The Roles And Pitfalls Of Strategic Philanthropy For Family Foundations And Donors: Book Review, Charles H. Hamilton

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

I'M Not Rockefeller: Implications For Major Foundations Seeking To Engage Ultra- High-Net-Worth Donors, Katherina M. Rosqueta, Kathleen Noonan, Miriam Shark

The Foundation Review

· This article describes how a group of 33 ultrahigh- net-worth philanthropists (UHNWPs) approach their giving.

· A few key areas dominated their giving priorities: education; health; poverty and social welfare; and children/youth initiatives each were a priority for more than a quarter of participants – with education expressed as an interest of 55 percent.

· A third of the 24 who responded to the question spent less than 10 percent of their full working time devoted to philanthropy, and 13 dedicated less than 20 percent of their working time.

· UHNWPs view their peers as their most trusted information …

The Quest For Deeper Learning And Engagement In Advanced High School Courses, Suzie Boss, Cynthia Johanson, Stephen D. Arnold, Walter C. Parker, Diem Nguyen, Susan Mosborg, Susan Nolen, Sheila Valencia, Nancy Vye, John Bransford

The Foundation Review

· GLEF and a research team from the University of Washington worked with Washington's Bellevue School District to develop and assess the impact of project-based learning on upper-level courses in high school.

· Research suggests that Advanced Placement (AP) courses may focus too much on accelerated content at the expense of deeper conceptual learning.

· The number of students taking AP courses has grown, but along with this the number failing has increased. GLEF and the research team tested project-based learning (PBL) to counteract this trend.

· Results after two years are promising. Students in the PBL-AP courses are performing …

Use Of Layering For Effective Partnership Building: Leveraging Positive Impact In Education Philanthropy, Angela Kremers

The Foundation Review

· Federal initiatives provide opportunities to link national, state, and local partnerships.

· New opportunities create a challenge of how to maximize mission-related goals while also seeking out new partnerships.

· “Layering” allows core foundation goals to be addressed while further examining how building new partnerships can expand with national and federal opportunities.

· Each “layer” represents multiple sector partnerships at the local, state, federal, and national levels.

· Layering differs from collective impact in its focus on strategic alignment with existing work to new partners versus the focus on the partnerships and organizational behavior of those relationships.

· Building …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

The Trenton Afterschool Partnership: Expanding Learning Time Citywide Through Public/Private Collaboration, Mark Valli, Catrin Davies, Traci Scott, Mikaela Levons

The Foundation Review

· High quality after-school programs have been demonstrated to have significant impact on student performance.

· Preceding the Trenton Afterschool Partnership (TAP) was a hodgepodge of programs that cost various contributors about $9 million. These programs, of unequal quality, served about 1,500 students in 15 out of Trenton’s 21 public schools.

· TAP (which includes the Princeton Area Community Foundation) was able to successfully implement programs in all of the Trenton schools.

· Budget cuts have forced the reduction of the programs, but about half of the schools have been able to maintain programs.

· Foundations are encouraged to support …

Storytellers As Philanthropic Champions: An Interview With Claire Chiang, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Singapore’s charity sector is undergoing significant changes to enhance management quality, accountability and transparency. But despite these positive changes, Ms Claire Chiang, entrepreneur and philanthropist, argues that Singapore also needs to cultivate a more visionary and global approach to philanthropy. She shares with Social Space her thoughts on storytelling and the need for mentors to champion the most urgent causes of the day.

Transitions Within The Ecosystem Of Change, Willie Cheng

Social Space

The ecosystem paradigm provides a framework to understand and influence the forces of change facing the nonprofit sector. In this extract from the forthcoming book, “The World That Changes The World: How philanthropy, entrepreneurship and innovation are transforming the social ecosystem,” Willie Cheng describes the social ecosystem framework, its change enablers and macro-trends.

Strategic Communications For Influence: Lessons From The Annie E. Casey Foundation And Its Kids Count Initiative, Anne Gienapp, Jane Reisman, Kasey Langley, Carolyn Cohen, Tony Cipollone, Tom Kelly, Don Crary, Sue Lin Chong

The Foundation Review

· This article describes how the Annie E. Casey Foundation is using the KIDS COUNT Network in a new way: as a strategic communications tool in its focused efforts toward policy change, broad social change, and improved conditions for vulnerable children and families. An outcome map illustrates links between this strategy and the intended outcomes.

· Case illustrations of KIDS COUNT grantee activities surrounding the release of the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book describe the efforts of grantees in six states where the quantity and quality of media coverage surrounding the national data book reflected the kind of coverage that …

Philanthropy, Evaluation, Accountability, And Social Change, John Bare

The Foundation Review

· Many foundations have substituted process accountability for accountability for contributing to social change.

· While process accountability is important, it sets a floor, not an aspirational ceiling.

· There are tools—such as risk analysis, systems approaches, and game theory—that can help philanthropy engage in work on complex social problems that cannot be deconstructed into a series of small, linear projects.

· Seeking to extend basic human rights to more individuals around the world, seeking to reduce racism in a given city, or seeking to change publichealth norms in small town—all of these aspirations require first a willingness to take …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Donor Partnership Effectiveness, Danièle St-Pierre, Lisa Burley

The Foundation Review

· The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) produced six case studies on jointly funded programs related to the environment, global health, and information technologies in developing regions around the world.

· A two-dimensional tool probing eight factors that influence donor (funder) partnership performance and interinstitutional communication was developed and used in conjunction with a Partnering Process Model to guide the preparation of the case studies.

· The case studies demonstrated that communication is important externally, that is, among donor partners, and internally, that is, within the various divisions of IDRC. With the use of this tool, it was possible to …

Constructing Collaborative Success For Network Learning: The Story Of The Discovery Community Self-Assessment Tool, Angela Frusciante, Carmen Siberon

The Foundation Review

· Despite conversations about the importance of community collaboration, foundations continue to struggle with how to best frame and support collaborative success.

· Existing tools to assess collaboration may not fit with either a foundation’s values or a specific program strategy.

· From a foundation perspective, developing a community self-assessment tool reinforced the idea that collaborative functioning is crucial and deserves attention.

· This article shares a story of the development and initial use of the Discovery Community Self-Assessment Tool as a process of social construction critical to collective action and a possible indicator of network learning.

Designing An Evaluation Of A New Initiative: A Practical Approach To Ensure Evaluation Use, Linda M. Bosma, Chris Matter, Jaime Martinez, Nicole Toves, Joanne D'Silva

The Foundation Review

· This article describes the process of planning an evaluation of the Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy initiative.

· The initiative was launched in 2007 to reduce tobacco use among American Indians, who disproportionately suffer the negative health effects of tobacco use.

· The work of the initiative and the evaluation had to incorporate an understanding of tribal structure as well as of the traditional use of tobacco in American Indian sacred ceremonies. The theory of change was conceptualized as circular, rather than linear, in keeping with American Indian philosophical traditions.

· The planning process, utilizing evaluators familiar with community …

Sustainability Is Made, Not Born: Enhancing Program Sustainability Through Reflective Grantmaking, Ann L. Mccracken, Kelly Firesheets

The Foundation Review

· This article explores how reflective grantmaking can lead to enduring changes in the communities that foundations serve.

· The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati's approach to evaluating and improving the sustainability of grant-funded projects is reviewed as an example.

· Their grantmaking framework includes policy and advocacy work, evaluation support, communications support, and technical assistance in addition to traditional funding of projects.

· This framework promotes sustainability of the funded work.

Paradigm Shift: A Foundation/Grantee Partnership Using Data To Drive Neighborhood Revitalization And Assess Impact, Lois W. Greco, Margaret Grieve, Maggie Mccullough

The Foundation Review

· The Wachovia Regional Foundation spearheaded the formation of a partnership to create a participatory outcome evaluation framework for its neighborhood revitalization work.

· The framework integrates the use of primary and secondary data and has been modified and improved to strengthen a variety of the foundation’s comprehensive neighborhood revitalization efforts.

· Forty-one community-based organizations have utilized the framework as a key tool to craft and implement neighborhood plans in a 62-county region.

· The framework has enabled grantees and residents to better understand and capitalize on market dynamics, enhance their participation in revitalization activities and begin to demonstrate the …

Moving Diversity Up The Agenda: Lessons And Next Steps From The Diversity In Philanthropy Project, Jessica Bearman, Henry A. J. Ramos, Anna-Nanine S. Pond

The Foundation Review

· The Diversity in Philanthropy Project (DPP) was a three-year, voluntary effort of foundation trustees, senior staff, and executives of philanthropysupport organizations committed to increasing diversity and inclusive practice across organized philanthropy’s boards, staff, grantmaking, contracting, and investing.

· DPP had significant achievements, including mobilizing greater commitment among foundation leaders to voluntary action on diversity and enhancing both the knowledge base and data methodologies available for understanding diversity, inclusion, and equity in foundation work.

· The initiative also faced its share of challenges, including difficulty assessing the impact on the diversity performance of foundations, slow adoption of recommended principles and …

Are We There Yet? How To Know Whether Your Communications Are Effective, Edith Asibey, Justin Van Fleet, Toni Parras

The Foundation Review

· This article describes the results of a study on current knowledge and practices in evaluating foundation communications. The study consisted of three parts: an online survey of practitioners, a series of in-depth key informant interviews, and an extensive literature review.

· The study found that while most practitioners agree that evaluating communications is necessary to make decisions about their communication strategy, more than half did not regularly do so. Lack of experience or skills was the second top barrier cited, after lack of human/financial resources.

· Those who have more experience with evaluation were more likely to feel that …

Philanthropy: Are We A Profession? Should We Be?, Karl Stauber

The Foundation Review

· When philanthropy is assessed against seven standards for what constitutes a profession, it meets only 3 of them.

· Questions remain about the core concepts of the field, and how the field builds and disseminates knowledge.

· There is much discussion about “scientific philanthropy,” but the inability to answer these questions limits the field’s ability to function scientifically.

· Wisdom, rigor, and learning may be better approaches to philanthropy that a scientific approach.

Learning-Circle Partnerships And The Evaluation Of A Boundary-Crossing Leadership Initiative In Health, Claire Reinelt, Dianne Yamashiro-Omi, Deborah Meehan

The Foundation Review

· Leadership development approaches that are focused on individual knowledge and skill development do not suit the leadership needs of lowincome communities and communities of color in addressing the multiple factors that influence health disparities.

· Boundary-crossing leadership is rooted in a socialjustice perspective and seeks to address the isolation and fragmentation faced by those who are working to address systemic inequities.

· A multicultural approach to evaluation honors different ways of knowing, recognizes that groups have different learning questions, acknowledges and addresses power dynamics that exist between funders and grantees, and ensures that evaluation is culturally relevant and constructive …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Teresa R. Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Demonstrating The Value Of Social Service Programs: A Simplified Approach To Calculating Return On Investment, Herbert M. Baum, Andrew H. Gluck, Bernice S. Smoot, William H. Wubbenhorst

The Foundation Review

· In 2008, as charitable giving dropped by $6.4 billion, 54 percent of human service programs saw an increase in the need for their services. Additionally, 74 percent of programs specifically serving children and youth reported being underfunded or severely underfunded.

· As government and foundation grantmakers transition from charitable giving to social investment, a Gates Foundation report on eight methodologies to assist measuring social value creation finds the methodologies are many years away from being suitable for both nonprofits and grantmakers.

· To better recognize and communicate the work of frontline practitioners, there is a need to change the …

Enrolling The Eligible: Lessons For Funders, Beth Stevens, Sheila Dunleavy Hoag, Judith Wooldridge

The Foundation Review

· Many social programs have a gap between the number of individuals eligible for services and the number enrolled.

· The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation implemented Covering Kids & Families to increase enrollment in Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

· Grantees sought to increase enrollment by raising awareness among low-income families, simplifying the application process, and coordinating among programs.

· Funders are encouraged to consider the lifecycle of programs and organizations, the skills in coalition-building and working with public officials that are needed, and the need to fit political strategies with the local culture.

Foundation Evaluation Startup: A Pause For Reflection, Jill M. Yegian

The Foundation Review

· This article reports on the accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned in creating a new Department of Research and Evaluation at the California HealthCare Foundation.

· Different tools were developed to address each of three key areas: performance assessment, organizational learning, and program evaluation.

· These new processes and tools have been wellreceived by both staff and the board, and have become increasingly important as resources become more scarce, making understanding and maximizing the impact of investments even more critical.

· Fostering a culture of evaluative inquiry in a fast-paced, payout-oriented environment is a significant challenge – program staff often …

Assessing Nonprofits’ Communications Capacity: An Online Self-Assessment Tool, Anne Reisinger Whatley, R. Christine Hershey, Julia Coffman, Andre Oliver

The Foundation Review

· Foundations increasingly recognize the importance of strategic and effective communications to advance their social-change goals. This article provides a framework that helps foundations to better understand the communications capacity of their grantee partners.

· Based on a detailed analysis of a survey of 529 foundations, universities and nonprofits, the authors created a six-point index that identifies the characteristics and practices of organizations that are ranked as highly effective at using communications to advance their goals.

· The six indicators are: Involvement of organization leadership in communications, communications planning and organization-wide planning, staffing and the use of outside expertise, donor …

Social Movements And Philanthropy: How Foundations Can Support Movement Building, Barbara Masters, Torie Osborn

The Foundation Review

· As foundations seek to catalyze broad-based social change, there is a need for greater understanding of what social movements are, how they evolve, and how foundations can support them.

· Movement building presents unique challenges to foundations. Because movements, by definition, must be driven by the people who are most affected, foundations cannot determine the goals and timetables of a movement.

· The authors identify five core elements to movement building: organizing an authentic base; leadership; vision and ideas; alliances; and advocacy infrastructure.

· A framework for evaluating movement building is proposed, which can help foundations identify measureable outcomes …

Editorial, Teresa R. Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.