Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons^™

Tackling Big Issues Together: The Story Of One Funders Network Promoting The Mental Health Of Young Children, Whitney Gustin Connor, Colleen Church, Barbara Yondorf

The Foundation Review

In 2012, Rose Community Foundation and the Caring for Colorado Foundation supported an environmental scan on children’s behavioral health to better understand challenges and opportunities for philanthropic investment. In the wake of the report’s release they established the Funders Learning Network on Early Childhood Mental Health, an organization of more than 10 community, private, and family foundations, to develop shared strategies for promoting the behavioral health of young children and families.

This article examines the evolution of the network from a learning collaborative to an incubator for jointly funded initiatives. Among its collaborative funding efforts is LAUNCH Together, a five-year, …

Disrupting A Foundation To Put Communities First In Colorado Philanthropy, Nancy Csuti, Gwyn Barley

The Foundation Review

This article explores how The Colorado Trust confronted the fact that the lives of many Coloradans remained fundamentally unchanged after years of nonprofit-led grantmaking and, in response, developed a community-led grantmaking process aimed at achieving a new vision of health equity.

These shifts led to significant changes both within The Trust and in long-standing relationships with many nonprofits. The Trust dissolved its program department and replaced the program officer position with a team of “community partners” tasked with building relationships with residents in far-flung regions of the state. Resident groups were empowered to identify the needs in their own communities, …

How Do You Measure Up? Finding Fit Between Foundations And Their Evaluation Functions, Julia Coffman, Tanya Beer

The Foundation Review

As the number of foundations has grown, the philosophies and ways of working across the sector have diversified. This variance means that there is no one right model for how a foundation’s evaluation function should be designed. It is imperative for a foundation to think carefully about how the structure, position, focus, resources, and practices of its evaluation function can best fit its own needs and aspirations.

This article focuses on questions foundations can ask to assess that fit, and the specific considerations that can inform these decisions. It draws on 2015 benchmarking research conducted by the Center for Evaluation …

Editorial, Teresa R. Behrens, Ned Calonge

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Reconciling Community-Based Versus Evidence-Based Philanthropy: A Case Study Of The Colorado Trust’S Early Initiatives, Douglas Easterling, Deborah Main

The Foundation Review

One of the dominant tensions in philanthropy involves the question of whether foundations should focus their grantmaking on projects that come from the community versus projects that have a base of scientific evidence. How a foundation answers this question leads to different strategic orientations.

This article describes how this tension was expressed and resolved during The Colorado Trust’s early years of initiative-based grantmaking. The community-based philosophy is illustrated through the Colorado Healthy Communities Initiative, while Home Visitation 2000 serves as an exemplar of the evidence-based approach. The Colorado School Health Education Initiative purposefully integrated the two philosophies.

The community-based and …

Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Doing Well By Doing Good? The Case Of Magrabi Foundation, Mohammad Saeed Shalaby

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims at empirically investigating the business case of corporate social responsibility for private hospitals. The study attempts to explore the possible monetary and non-monetary business benefits for the Magrabi Hospital, in the Community Outreach Program carried out by the Magrabi Foundation. In addition, the study further attempts to understand the role of these potential benefits, on the deci- sion-making processes of the top executives in private hospitals. The study uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach through a three stages process for examining the qualitative and quantitative roles of CSR, as well as the evaluation of the strategic …

The Nonprofit Nerd (September 2016), The Nonprofit Institute At Portland State University

The Nonprofit Institute Newsletter

This month’s theme is Networked Philanthropy.

Let the resources and insights we share in The Nonprofit Nerd inspire you to get your nerd on and find innovative ways to make research and data work for you and your nonprofit!

Exploring Collaborations Between Veterinarians & Rescues/Shelters, Jacquie Cobb

Shelter Management and Adoption Procedures Collection

A survey of private practice veterinarians in the Chicago area was conducted in an effort to pinpoint what constitutes a positive relationship between a veterinarian and a rescue group or shelter. The following research questions guided this project: From the perspective of veterinarians, what is the nature of collaboration between private veterinarians and animal rescues? What are the reasons for these relationships? What is the perceived value of these relationships according to veterinarians? The survey was sent to 50 private practice veterinarians in the Chicago area and received twelve responses, followed by two face-to-face interviews of survey participants. The data …

Editorial, Teresa Behrens, Vikki Spruill

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Knowledge As Leadership, Belonging As Community: How Canadian Community Foundations Are Using Vital Signs For Social Change, Susan Phillips, Ian Bird, Laurel Carlton, Lee Rose

The Foundation Review

The concept of “community” in community foundations is being reframed – less strictly tied to the specific locales that originally defined their boundaries and increasingly about a process of engagement and a resulting sense of belonging.

The greatest asset of a community foundation is not the size of its endowment, but its knowledge of community and ability to use this knowledge for positive change.

This article explores the Canadian network of community foundations’ use of the reporting tool Vital Signs to implement a knowledge-driven approach to leadership and how it is using this knowledge in more inclusive, engaged models of …

Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Youth Leadership In A Metropolitan Region: Examining Lessons From A Multiyear Community Foundation Initiative, Katie Richards-Schuster, Katie G. Brisson

The Foundation Review

This article examines the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan’s launch of a broad-based, multilayered strategy to promote youth leadership in the region, and showcases what can be accomplished when foundations invest in such strategies.

In partnership with the University of Michigan School of Social Work and the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University, the foundation helped develop comprehensive programs aimed at building the capacity of youth-serving organizations to engage youth as leaders, support a youth-driven research assessment and social-justice project, and provide funds for youth-run efforts aimed at strengthening the region’s schools and communities.

As …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Following The Money: An Analysis Of Foundation Grantmaking For Community And Economic Development, Keith Wardrip, William Lambe, Mels De Zeeuw

The Foundation Review

The article challenges the perception among some in the field of community and economic development that small and socioeconomically distressed metro areas do not attract a proportional share of grant capital from the nation’s largest foundations.

The analysis presented in this article reviewed nearly 169,000 community and economic development grants made by the largest foundations between 2008 and 2013 to identify metro- area characteristics that are associated with higher levels of grant receipt.

The density of nonprofit organizations and the presence of large, local foundations are shown to be consistently significant predictors of grant receipt. After controlling for these and …

Community Innovation Network Framework: A Model For Reshaping Community Identity, William P. Moore, Adena M. Klem, Cheryl L. Holmes, June Holley, Carlie Houchen

The Foundation Review

The REACH Healthcare Foundation created its Rural Health Initiative to encourage the development of innovative strategies to improve access to health care and reduce health inequities in three rural counties in Missouri and Kansas. The intent was to develop a systematic, sustainable, and coordinated approach to community change that would increase the odds of breaking through the persistent barriers to health care access for the rural poor and medically underserved in these counties.

This article discusses the foundation’s original approach to the initiative and how it adjusted that approach in response to its rural partners’ experiences. It reflects on the …

Foundation Support Of Immigrant Communities: Insights From A Survey Of Immigrants In Minnesota’S Twin Cities, Nicole Martinrogers, Ryan Evans, Paul Mattessich

The Foundation Review

Immigration brings both benefits and challenges to communities. This article provides insight into the needs of these communities and offers suggestions for how foundations can consider immigrant and refugee communities in their work.

This article combines information from Minnesota Compass, a foundation-governed social-indicators initiative, and Speaking for Ourselves, a study of immigrants and refu- gees in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metropolitan area that identifies the needs and strengths immigrants bring to our communities.

The results can help guide foundations and their grantees on how to improve a community’s quality of life for immigrants and refugees – to the benefit of all …

A New Domain For Place-Rooted Foundations: Economic Development Philanthropy, Deborah Markley, Janet Topolsky, Don Macke, Travis Green, Kristin Feierabend

The Foundation Review

This article suggests that economic development philanthropy is a new domain for place-rooted foundations, and highlights the important system-actor role that these foundations can and are playing to advance economic development that produces better outcomes for families and communities.

Economic development philanthropy requires foundations to play integrating or missing roles to advance regional economic development – that they act to fill gaps that other organizations and agencies in the community or region are not addressing. To ensure that a foundation is playing this value-added role requires identifying what others are doing and the outcomes they are seeking or achieving – …

Partnering For Impact: Developing The Mcknight Foundation’S Carbon Efficiency Strategy, Gayle Peterson

The Foundation Review

This case study challenges us to redefine our definitions of community and philanthropic practice as we tackle global climate change — one of the most Wicked Problems facing our planet and our people. Driven by a deep commitment to “walk the talk,” CEO Kate Wolford and McKnight Foundation leadership committed $100M of the foundation’s endowment to find solutions to global warming. This bold step required building a new type of partnership with McKnight’s team of financial advisors — Mellon Capital Management, Mercer, and Imprint Capital (now Goldman Sachs). McKnight and Mellon Capital had to build a new cross sector partnership …

Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

More Than Cookies: A Study Of Trends And Promising Practices In Programming For Older Girl Scouts, Jennifer Ottersbach

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This study examine rates of 'older girl' (ages 15-17) retention in Girl Scouts of the USA. Enrollment numbers and troop activity/participation are examined from the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Council to assess the reflection of this regional council to the nationwide organization. Benefits such as character building, developing leadership skills, international and domestic travel opportunities, democratic opportunities, and public work or service projects for older girls are described as promising practices for older girl retention. This qualitative study lead to the development of “The Five Keys of Effective Older Girl Programming” as follows: designing specialized experiences, building relationships with adults …

The Nonprofit Nerd (August 2016), The Nonprofit Institute At Portland State University

The Nonprofit Institute Newsletter

Welcome to the Inaugural Issue of The Nonprofit Nerd! The Nonprofit Institute (NPI) at Portland State University (formerly the Institute for Nonprofit Management) is excited to introduce you to our new e‐newsletter, The Nonprofit Nerd. In each newsletter, we’ll provide you with to some great research, data, and best practice resources on a particular theme, as well as introduce you to some amazing nonprofit nerds who are making research and data “work” for them.

We hope the resources and insights we share in The Nonprofit Nerd will inspire you to get your nerd on and find innovative ways to make …

A Social Marketing Plan For The Lester C. Howick Animal Shelter, Joseph Michael Spiegelhoff

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Lester C. Howick Animal Shelter (Howick) is a non-profit organization serving Washington County, Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas community. This thesis offers Howick a comprehensive Social marketing plan. The goal of the animal shelter is to increase the total number of cats and dogs adopted, increase the total amount of donations, and increase the number of volunteers helping at the facility and various events. In order to accomplish these goals for 2016, a Social marketing plan was developed through research on other non-profit organizations, other animal shelters, communication with the shelter employees, crafting a public service announcement (PSA), and …

A Human Resource Approach To Improving An Alternative Break Experience, Mikaela Shupp, Luther T. Denton, Katy Kaesebier

Honors College Theses

Alternative breaks are intensive service experiences that allow students to address social issues while impacting the communities they serve. This thesis examines Georgia Southern University’s Alternative Break Program in depth, specifically the participant selection process. Seven alternative break coordinators of programs across the United States were interviewed in order to evaluate the various participant selection processes used and to determine the main characteristics that these programs seek in participants and site leaders. Through this analysis, it was determined that programs look for site leaders who are flexible, passionate, and responsible. The research also revealed that coordinators look for participants who …

Benchmarking, Brokering, And Branding: Resources For Success Across Sectors, Maureen Scully, Lisa Deangelis, Katie Bates

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The fellows in the Center for Collaborative Leadership's Emerging Leaders Program practice collaborative leadership skills by working together in peer-led teams on projects that involve multiple stakeholders and have a civic impact. The theme that emerged for the 2016 projects was Benchmarking, Brokering, and Branding: Resources for Success Across Sectors - recognizing that the fellows' social capital and ability to step back and take a wide comparative view provided new resources for their partners.

Family Asset Building Coalition's Case For Support, Nada Bakir, Kailyn Wells

Fundraising and Marketing

The Family Asset Building Coalition (FABC) is a partnership of nonprofit and community organizations united by the common goal of assisting low-income families achieve economic mobility.

This is their case for support.

Book Review: Laugesen & Gauld. Democratic Governance & Health: Hospitals, Politics And Health In New Zealand, Vivienne Byers

Articles

No abstract provided.

Getting Real With Strategy: Insights From Implementation Science, Douglas Easterling, Allison Metz

The Foundation Review

Foundations are increasingly coming to appreciate the importance of strategy. But simply having a strategy – even an explicit strategy – does not guarantee that a foundation will actually achieve its goals.

To implement a strategy effectively, a foundation needs to operationalize it in the form of specific functions that staff will carry out and needs to create an organizational infrastructure that supports the strategy. The field of implementation science offers a set of tools for helping foundations address these tasks.

After introducing some general principles of implementation science, this article describes in depth the concepts of practice profiles, which …