Tag: Guest Author
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What Funders Miss When They Treat Capacity as the GoalMidy Aponte-Vargas Founder and Chief Executive, Civil Strategies
The operating system philanthropy uses to define nonprofit strength no longer fits the conditions we are in. It rewards what funders can measure, mistakes legibility for credibility, treats community rooted […] The post What Funders Miss When They Treat Capacity as the GoalMidy Aponte-Vargas Founder and Chief Executive, Civil Strategies appeared first on The Center…
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Beyond Payout: What Is Charitable Capital Doing Right Now?Kirstin Hill President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance
Center for Effective Philanthropy President Phil Buchanan recently made a strong case for why foundations should increase their payouts. He does not think all foundations should spend down and has […] The post Beyond Payout: What Is Charitable Capital Doing Right Now?Kirstin Hill President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance appeared first on The Center…
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AI Is Reshaping the World — Foundations Must Revisit Their StrategyChantal Forster Independent AI Advisor, Warren West AdvisoryLakshmi Iyer Managing Director, FSG
AI is not just changing the way foundations work — it is changing the world that philanthropy is trying to change. In 2026, we believe that foundations must go beyond […] The post AI Is Reshaping the World — Foundations Must Revisit Their StrategyChantal Forster Independent AI Advisor, Warren West AdvisoryLakshmi Iyer Managing Director, FSG…
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As Fiscal Hosting Expands, What Philanthropy Should KnowPaula Castells Carrión Governance and Localization Consultant, Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative
At its core, fiscal hosting refers to a model in which a nonprofit organization extends its legal and tax-exempt status to a project or initiative, enabling it to receive and […] The post As Fiscal Hosting Expands, What Philanthropy Should KnowPaula Castells Carrión Governance and Localization Consultant, Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative appeared first on…
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When Federal Policy Retreats, Local Action Must LeadRip Rapson President and CEO, The Kresge FoundationShamar Bibbins Managing Director, Environment Program, The Kresge Foundation
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced earlier this year that it was reversing the Endangerment Finding — the long-standing federal policy establishing that greenhouse gases pose a clear and present danger […] The post When Federal Policy Retreats, Local Action Must LeadRip Rapson President and CEO, The Kresge FoundationShamar Bibbins Managing Director, Environment Program, The Kresge…
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Philanthropy in Prose: Why Better Grantmaking Matters Now More Than EverDaniel Stid Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has recently shared some sobering survey data in “State of Nonprofits 2026: What Funders Need to Know.” The proportion of nonprofit CEOs who report […] The post Philanthropy in Prose: Why Better Grantmaking Matters Now More Than EverDaniel Stid Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute appeared first on The Center…
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An Urgent ‘Passing Gear’ Call to Action: Leveraging Foundation Grantmaking in a Landscape of RetrenchmentJon Pratt Senior Research Fellow, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Financial CommonsRuth McCambridge Director of Content, Nonprofit Financial Commons
In CEP’s latest research report, “The State of Nonprofits 2026,” one of its three major findings is that “despite ongoing financial challenges, many nonprofits are making strategic adaptations to their […] The post An Urgent ‘Passing Gear’ Call to Action: Leveraging Foundation Grantmaking in a Landscape of RetrenchmentJon Pratt Senior Research Fellow, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits,…
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Nonprofits Keep Showing Up — Now We Must Show Up for ThemAngelique Power President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation
There is always that part in the superhero movie when the superheroes themselves are beleaguered. Emergencies are burning all around them, while the rhetoric has been manipulated against them. They’ve […] The post Nonprofits Keep Showing Up — Now We Must Show Up for ThemAngelique Power President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation appeared first on…
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What If Philanthropy Hoarded Uncertainty, Not Money?Katya Fels Smyth Senior Fellow, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University
“Our biggest challenge is higher volatility in giving. More foundations than we would expect in a typical year have reduced or dropped their support.” – A nonprofit leader This statement, […] The post What If Philanthropy Hoarded Uncertainty, Not Money?Katya Fels Smyth Senior Fellow, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University appeared first on The…
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In Light of New ‘State of Nonprofits’ Data, Philanthropy Must Harness the ‘Power of Possible’Alfonso Tomás Wenker Senior Vice President of Community Impact, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Amid burnout, fear of being targeted and funding cuts, our grantee partners are clear that things are not sustainable. Funders, our response cannot be silence, self-protection, or simply falling back […] The post In Light of New ‘State of Nonprofits’ Data, Philanthropy Must Harness the ‘Power of Possible’Alfonso Tomás Wenker Senior Vice President of Community…
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Responding to the State of Nonprofits in 2026: What Funders Can DoJoanne Florino Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence, Philanthropy Roundtable
Reading CEP’s latest report on the current state of nonprofits took me back to the Great Recession and the challenges brought on by COVID-19. The combination of CEO and staff […] The post Responding to the State of Nonprofits in 2026: What Funders Can DoJoanne Florino Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence, Philanthropy Roundtable…
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A Decade of Listening: How Houston Endowment Turned Staff Survey Data into a Stronger CultureSherry Fultz Director of People and Culture, Houston Endowment
At Houston Endowment, we’ve used the Center for Effective Philanthropy Staff Perception Report since 2012, and one thing has become clear: the data points us in the right direction, but deciding […] The post A Decade of Listening: How Houston Endowment Turned Staff Survey Data into a Stronger CultureSherry Fultz Director of People and Culture, Houston…
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Funding What You Can’t See: The Vital, Invisible Work of Disaster PreparednessPatricia McIlreavy President and CEO, Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Across the United States and around the world, communities are preparing for disasters that have not yet occurred. Emergency response teams are reviewing and refining their playbooks. Public works crews […] The post Funding What You Can’t See: The Vital, Invisible Work of Disaster PreparednessPatricia McIlreavy President and CEO, Center for Disaster Philanthropy appeared first…
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Why Philanthropy Needs a New Language for Digital RiskJean Westrick Executive Director, Technology Association of Grantmakers
Ask most foundation leaders what “cybersecurity” means, and they’ll describe firewalls, phishing simulations, and password policies. They’re not wrong, but what they describe is a much smaller problem than the […] The post Why Philanthropy Needs a New Language for Digital RiskJean Westrick Executive Director, Technology Association of Grantmakers appeared first on The Center for…
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When Shift Happens, What Does It Mean for Philanthropy to Leave Well?Laila Bell, M.P.A. Vice President, Learning and Impact, The Skillman FoundationStephanie Teleki, Ph.D. Director of Learning and Impact, The California Health Care FoundationJaime Vazquez, M.A. Senior Associate, Planning and Evaluation, The Pew Charitable Trusts
When a foundation shifts course or steps away, what happens to the work — and to the people who depend on it? Few funders will support a single strategy or […] The post When Shift Happens, What Does It Mean for Philanthropy to Leave Well?Laila Bell, M.P.A. Vice President, Learning and Impact, The Skillman FoundationStephanie…
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Funders Want Impact, Strong Coalitions Can Deliver It Monica Martinez Program Director, College Success, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. FundRia Sengupta Bhatt Founder and Principal Consultant, Mandala Strategies
As California lawmakers were assembling the most recent state budget, a coalition of nonprofits played a leading role in securing emergency aid for undocumented students facing unexpected costs that could derail their journey to a life-changing […] The post Funders Want Impact, Strong Coalitions Can Deliver It Monica Martinez Program Director, College Success, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. FundRia Sengupta Bhatt Founder and…
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From Belief to Practice: Why Multiyear Flexible Funding Still Lags Behind ConsensusHannah Smith Manager, Editorial and Publications, Exponent Philanthropy
Most funders agree on what nonprofits need to thrive: flexibility, trust, and sustained support. These principles are widely endorsed, reflected in conference panels and board conversations alike. Yet multiyear general […] The post From Belief to Practice: Why Multiyear Flexible Funding Still Lags Behind ConsensusHannah Smith Manager, Editorial and Publications, Exponent Philanthropy appeared first on…
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Rethinking Payout: The Hidden Costs of Undervaluing Social ReturnKendall Pettygrove Senior Financial Analyst, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
What We Miss When We Measure Foundations typically make payout decisions using logic borrowed from finance. The underlying assumption is straightforward: over the long term, endowment assets generate reliable financial […] The post Rethinking Payout: The Hidden Costs of Undervaluing Social ReturnKendall Pettygrove Senior Financial Analyst, David and Lucile Packard Foundation appeared first on The…
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Governing Through Nonprofit Instability: A Purpose-Driven FrameworkDanielle Gilmore, Ph.D., MPP, CHES Director of Learning and Research, BoardSource
The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s recent research tells a clear story: Nonprofits are carrying more demand with fewer resources. Foundations have responded, yet many still believe the response does not […] The post Governing Through Nonprofit Instability: A Purpose-Driven FrameworkDanielle Gilmore, Ph.D., MPP, CHES Director of Learning and Research, BoardSource appeared first on The Center…
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Foundation Governance Today and Tomorrow: Shifting the Mindset from Managing Crises to Long-Term TransformationHanna Stähle Head of Foresight and Innovation, Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association
The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s research on “Foundation Governance Today” could not be more timely. Foundation leadership and governance are operating in a challenging, disruptive environment. It is not only […] The post Foundation Governance Today and Tomorrow: Shifting the Mindset from Managing Crises to Long-Term TransformationHanna Stähle Head of Foresight and Innovation, Philea –…