Public Policy Commons^™

From Framework To Practice: Insights About Aligning Foundation Impact And Strategic Positioning In A Trust-Based Philanthropy Era, Nancy Pole, Marie-Andrée Mbengue-Reiver, Anne Loranger-King

The Foundation Review

This article examines how a framework revealing foundations’ distinct orientations towards social impact has been used in practice, illustrating the tool’s utility and areas for refinement through one foundation’s experience.

Originally developed for Quebec’s philanthropic ecosystem, the heuristic positions foundations along two continua: strategic posture (problem-solving versus communitysupporting) and impact focus (grantee outcomes versus foundation outcomes), creating four impact orientation quadrants.

The case reveals productive tensions when different parts of a foundation occupy different quadrants. They are particularly acute for public foundations accountable simultaneously to donors, grantees, government funders, and communities.

These insights inform future framework iterations with a view …

Paying For Participation: Equitable Compensation Models For Community Co-Researchers, Jamie Zimmerman, Prabhneet Girn

The Foundation Review

Community-engaged research is increasingly central to philanthropic practice, yet funders rarely provide guidance for compensating community members who participate as co-researchers. This gap is especially pronounced for youth, who often face administrative, legal, and developmental constraints that complicate what “fair pay” looks like in practice.

This article presents findings from a mixed-methods comparative case study of three youth participatory action-research projects involving 44 youth ages 16–24 across varied organizational settings. Data were collected through youth surveys, focus groups, staff interviews, financial analysis, and document review.

Findings show that each model carries distinct trade-offs related to feasibility, transparency, and administrative capacity, …

How, For Whom, And Under What Conditions: Using A Causal Pathways Approach To Support The Goals Of Philanthropic Evaluation, Drew Koleros, Sophie Bright, Dana Harrison, Megan Shoji, Tina Fletcher

The Foundation Review

Causal pathways approaches are gaining traction as evaluators seek methods that move beyond descriptive analysis to rigorously explain how, for whom, and under what conditions change occurs in complex systems. Yet there remains limited practical guidance on how to operationalize these approaches in real-world philanthropic contexts or assess their quality.

This article addresses these gaps through a case study of an evaluation taking a causal pathways approach that examines students’ experiences in four virtual and hybrid K–12 learning models. Using a realist evaluation design within a broader causal pathways orientation, the authors collaboratively developed theories of change, iteratively tested and …

Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

A Stadium In Our Backyard: Community Participation In Stadia Redevelopment Projects, Sofia Zazueta

Master's Theses

The Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain and the Chase Center in San Francisco, California are two stadium redevelopment projects that exemplify the stakeholder dynamics that come into play when developers pitch a multipurpose stadium located a few blocks away from people’s backyards. Urban development patterns must be in constant evolution to meet the needs and demands of the current generations. In cities, stadia redevelopment projects have entered the picture to reimagine the role that these structures once played. The stadium once used for the sole purpose of holding matches has become a venue that now hosts different events such as …

A Just Reimagining Of The Loss & Damage Fund, Sarah Cheung

Master in Public Policy Theses

The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), established at COP28 in 2023, represents a historic diplomatic breakthrough in multilateral climate finance, yet its design reflects the compromises necessary to secure political agreement rather than a just institutional architecture. This thesis evaluates the FRLD and two prominent reform proposals—the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0 and Esther Duflo's Grand Bargain—against a novel framework that provides a more precise way to evaluate the “justness” of different arrangements. This framework encompasses three dimensions: compensatory, distributive, and procedural justice. [JS1] A dimension of justice is achieved in a two-fold manner; first, through rhetorical commitments in …

Uneven Ranks: Geographic Deepening Of The All-Volunteer Force, Christine Hogestyn

Master in Public Policy Theses

Who is enlisting in Fiscal Year 2025, and what state-level characteristics are associated with military enlistment rates, service selection, and recruit quality? This study documents the geographic landscape of U.S. military accessions during a period of recruiting recovery, filling a gap in the literature by providing a current, empirical description of who enlists and from where in today’s All-Volunteer Force. Drawing on personnel data from the Department of War, the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, and a federal dataset of military installations, I analyze 203,987 new accessions across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps from …

Silicon Rivalry: Understanding The U.S.-China Ai Competition In Southeast Asia, Daniel Christopher Kent

Master in Public Policy Theses

In the rising global strategic competition between China and the United States, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken on a special significance given its potentially transformative impact upon economics and security. Yet while the dialogue around the “AI race” is typically centered on foundational model capability enhancement, application in security contexts, and chip design and manufacturing, there is much less attention paid to its impact on geopolitics. In particular, AI diplomacy—the work of a state to spread its model of AI governance, evangelize its AI companies, and develop critical AI interdependencies and linkages around the world—is far less studied. Nowhere is …

One Faculty, One Mission: A Unified Faculty Model For California Community Colleges, Debbie Klein

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This article advances a unified, non-tiered faculty model as essential to fulfilling the mission of the California Community Colleges (CCC) system. Although the system is charged with realizing open access and educational equity, nearly 70% of faculty serve in part-time or contingent roles—often without proportional compensation, institutional stability, or meaningful participation in governance. Drawing on research demonstrating that faculty working conditions shape student learning conditions, the article argues that structural employment inequities undermine the system’s democratic promise. Situating the proposal within national “One Faculty” efforts and recent legislative attention to pay parity in California, it demonstrates that reform is both …

Separating Access Legitimacy From Utilization Analytics: A Two-Layer Evaluation Model For Philanthropy And Development, Stephanie Zabriskie

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article introduces a two-layer evaluation model for philanthropic and development decision-making in access-based interventions. The first layer treats Access as Outcome (AAO) as a recognized outcome when essential goods, services or resources are delivered through a viable delivery pathway, without requiring post-access utilization or compliance to validate legitimacy. The second layer evaluates post-access variation through System Coherence Conditions (SCC), defined as internal alignment across governance and decision-making, distribution and logistics, social accountability and norms, and scarcity management and continuity, which explain differences in utilization, continuity, and downstream effects as signals of system coherence rather than as retroactive worthiness thresholds. …

China-Canada Resource Diplomacy: New Era Of Land Grabbing, Valdrin Dragusha

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper examines the evolving economic relationship between China and Canada, particularly in the context of China's transition from a strictly social economy to an authoritarian socialist market economy. It highlights the implications of China's Going Out Policy initiated in 2000, aimed at securing vital natural resources amidst growing domestic demands driven by rapid economic expansion. The paper analyzes China's significant demand for resources, its sustainable development policies, and the changing dynamics of land acquisitions, particularly in relation to Canada, which is perceived as a strategic investment destination due to its abundant natural resources and technological advancements in clean energy. …

Challenging The Deliberative Consensus: Participatory Strategies, Transparency And Citizen Trust Across Municipal Contexts, Fadel Al-Marsoumi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationships between participatory governance strategies and multidimensional citizen trust in municipal contexts. Although local governments have implemented deliberative forums, digital platforms and hybrid participation approaches to restore declining public confidence, inconsistencies between theoretical predictions and empirical outcomes have raised questions about participatory governance effectiveness. Motivated by this gap between deliberative democracy theory's optimistic predictions and limited empirical support, the study investigates the psychological, political and contextual mechanisms that shape trust formation through civic engagement. Drawing on an integrated framework combining organizational trust theory and deliberative democracy frameworks, the research conceptualizes trust as a multidimensional construct involving …

The Price Of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power Of Taxation In American History, Vanessa Williamson

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History" by Brookings senior fellow in governance studies, Vanessa Williamson.

From tariffs to “no tax on tips”, taxation has often been a hot topic in American elections. What is not commonly recognized, however, is that—from the framing of the Constitution to the decades-long backlash to the civil rights movement—taxes have been at the heart of battles over the breadth of our democracy. Brookings senior fellow Vanessa Williamson discusses her new book, The Price of …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Why Foundations Begin Making Program-Related Investments: Evidence From Recent Adopters, Maoz (Michael) Brown

The Foundation Review

Why do foundations begin making program-related investments (PRIs)? This article answers that question by drawing on interviews with professionals at 36 U.S. foundations that recently began implementing PRIs.

While achieving positive impact is a central motivating factor, the study reveals it is uncommon for new PRI-makers to target impact uniquely tailored to PRIs, e.g., establishing a credit history for the recipient. Operational benefits, e.g., stretching the foundation’s financial resources, are more salient in the decision to undertake PRIs, even though such benefits are often marginal.

This article also highlights a previously underexplored but apparently significant driver of PRI adoption: the …

Defining Community Philanthropy: Principles And Dimensions Of A Transformative Practice, Michael D. Layton

The Foundation Review

Community philanthropy is increasingly promoted as an alternative to institutional, top-down philanthropy, yet the term remains contested. In the Global North, it is typically associated with community foundations, while in the Global South the emphasis is on community itself.

This article offers a definition of community philanthropy as a practice rooted in context and power rather than a single institutional form. It identifies five transformative characteristics that distinguish community philanthropy from conventional giving and translates these principles into seven dimensions that can be used to identify and assess community philanthropy in practice.

For practitioners, evaluators, and funders, this framework offers …

Front And Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Philanthropic Archives And Legacy, Katherine Badertscher, Huitan Xu

The Foundation Review

This article details an environmental scan of publicly available sources and interviews to explore the landscape of archival work in philanthropy.

There is no single guidance appropriate across the spectrum of foundations and family philanthropies. Given foundation heterogeneity, records management and archiving require tailored approaches rather than a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

The authors theorize legacy as a form of capital, embodied in records, stories, and knowledge, and present a continuum of five strategies for archiving infrastructure.

Considering Barriers To Funding Fiscal Sponsorship: Insights From Sponsor And Project Leaders, Elliot M. Zettas, Todd L. Ely, Fredrik O. Andersson

The Foundation Review

This study explores barriers to funding fiscal sponsorship based on interviews with 68 leaders of sponsors and sponsored projects. Findings reveal that funders’ limited understanding and restrictive policies contribute to negative sentiment and reduced grant access for sponsored initiatives.

Despite fiscal sponsorship’s administrative efficiencies and mission-focused benefits, funders often perceive sponsored projects as less legitimate, misunderstand sponsor roles, and resist covering sponsor cost allocations when framed as fees. Structural complexities — such as shared EINs and geographic mismatches — further impede eligibility for funding.

This article concludes with actionable recommendations for funders and sponsors, including staff education, updated grant guidelines, …

Beyond Need: Exploring Readiness To Implement Change As A Predictor Of Nonprofit Capacity-Building Success, Bridget Y. Samuel

The Foundation Review

This mixed-methods exploratory study investigates whether organizational readiness to implement change predicts capacity-building success more reliably than the level of perceived need.

Using a six-factor readiness assessment measuring clear priorities, change management resources, time investment commitment, board engagement, systems infrastructure, and cash flow, data from 10 participating organizations reveal a significant correlation between readiness scores and early capacity-building outcomes.

The findings challenge three common field assumptions: that the greatest capacity-building need should drive selection, that capacity-building works uniformly across developmental stages, and that dysfunction can be addressed through “standard” capacity-building programming.

The Future Of Purpose-Driven Work: Evaluating A Case Study Of The Hybrid: Flexible Purpose Model At The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Jeff Williams, Melyssa Tsai O'Brien, Trish Abalo

The Foundation Review

This 15-month case study employed a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation to document and assess the model across six key areas. Findings revealed the Hybrid: Flexible Purpose model preserved or improved grantmaking outcomes, enhanced staff well-being and autonomy, and expanded the diversity of the talent pool.

Challenges emerged regarding sustaining the organizational culture, fostering cross-team and informal relationships, and ensuring consistent policy implementation across teams, particularly in finding the optimal balance between stated goals and actual experiences during mandatory in-person gatherings.

Findings also documented a “hybrid coordination tax,” i.e., additional effort required to manage mixed in-person and virtual meetings and schedules.

These …

Tfr 18.1 Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Using Ai To Redirect Donor Support To Smaller Organizations, Madeleine Alegria, Brandolon Barnett

The Foundation Review

Despite rising interest in supporting local causes, many donors continue to give to large, nationally recognized nonprofits. This reflects ongoing structural barriers such as limited nonprofit visibility, decision fatigue, and search environments that prioritize brand familiarity.

At the same time, small-dollar giving has declined for three consecutive years, highlighting the need for more transparent, accessible, and trustworthy tools to support donor decision-making (Childress, 2024; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2023).

In a 2024 evaluation study, 291 U.S. donors were randomly assigned to use either the Giving Compass Guide to Good platform or general internet tools to select a new nonprofit …

Moving Beyond Words To Action: A Practitioner’S Playbook For Achieving Collaboration Success, Tessa Lesage, Jonathan L. Romine, Jane Wei Skillern

The Foundation Review

This article argues that foundations must shift from acting as grantmakers alone to becoming active stewards of cross-sector collaborative networks.

Drawing from more than two decades of field experience and research each, the authors outline a framework for moving from collaborative rhetoric to action, identifying four essential and interconnected actions: fueling trust, elevating purpose, nurturing networks, and strengthening stewardship.

Through case examples, the article illustrates how authentic, trust-based relationships, shared goals, and relational network leadership can drive scalable, sustainable impact.

The article offers both a compelling critique of traditional philanthropic approaches and a strategic road map for how foundations can …

Beyond The Check: Lessons In Trust, Support, And Structure For Flexible Well-Being Grants, Martena Reed, Jennifer Marsack, Chelsey Hurt, Gladys Hairston, Karla Mendez, Tejaswini Vemuganti, Valerie Stewart, Cindy Alvarado

The Foundation Review

This article draws on a developmental evaluation of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation’s Well-Being Grants, which awarded over 100 small, flexible grants to support nonprofit staff and organizational well-being. Using surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document review, authors examined how organizations defined well-being, how they used the funds, and what factors shaped their choices.

Findings show that, while grantees valued flexibility, many relied on familiar approaches such as retreats, stipends, and team building. Long-standing compliance norms engendered caution about experimentation, even when funders encouraged it.

The authors argue that funders must pair flexible dollars with …

What Are The Factors Affecting The Financial Sustainability Of Social Enterprises In Egypt?, Mina Atta Ghaly

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates what factors affect the financial sustainability of social enterprises (SEs) in Egypt, situating them within a constrained MSME, legal and sectoral context marked by informality, weak innovation and recurrent shocks. Drawing on global and Egyptian literature, it identifies ten candidate factors—business model, financial management, founders’ skills and mindset, revenue structure, sector and mission, legal framework and innovative finance, capacity building, investment mechanisms and “the right investor”, adaptability to shocks, and ecosystem conditions—and integrates them into an extended Social Enterprise Model Canvas. Using a qualitative, exploratory design with semi‑structured interviews of social enterprise founders, incubators/accelerators, investors and experts, …

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born--to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

On The Legal-Theoretical Foundations Of Property Taxation Under State Ownership Of Land, Tianke Ban, Yilin Hou, Ping Zhang

Center for Policy Research

The general public and even some scholars challenge the legitimacy of levying the property tax under conditions where land is state-owned and multi-year land-use fees have already been collected at the time of house sales. This challenge points to the legal- theoretical foundations of property taxation: the core issue is whether the rights and economic utility of China's construction land-use-rights (CLUR) are sufficient to be treated as the object of property tax levy. China's Civil Law stipulates that CLUR holders have the rights to possess, use, and profit from the land during their use period, as well as the right …

A Policy Reversal As Structural Break: A Lesson From China’S Land Lease Financing For Infrastructure, Yilin Hou, Lin Li, Lei Shao

Center for Policy Research

Land-based revenues as a fiscal instrument to finance infrastructure tie public investment to real estate markets, where demand fluctuations cause fiscal consequences. This paper takes policy reversals as structural breaks and examines their impacts on infrastructure investment. We dissect China’s 2016 policy reversal that disallowed developers to finance land purchase with debt, causing sharp declines in local government land revenues, slashing their fiscal base for infrastructure investment. Using prefecture-level panel data and continuous difference-in-differences identification, we estimate the reversal reduced land-lease revenues by 55%. Two-stage least squares estimates suggest a 10% land-revenue decline translates into 6.6% investment reduction. Decomposing the …