Research found that prizes are a unique and powerful tool that should be in the basic toolkit of many of today's philanthropists. They not only identify new levels of excellence and encourage specific innovations, but they also change wider perceptions, improve the performance of communities of problem-solvers, build the skills of individuals, and mobilize new talent or capital.
Jessie Ball duPont Fund prepared this guidebook to help document what has been learned after facing a devastating natural disaster in their own community required a new kind of support. They learned about how public and private systems work, about where, when and how they intersect, and about organized philanthropy's proper role.
LearnPhilanthropy Announces Bookshelf Project
The LearnPhilanthropy team has been interested in creating a list of books that would be helpful to grantmaker learning and development. An initial LearnPhilanthropy Bookshelf project is a dynamic list of books, articles and reports suggested by practicing grantmakers and those committed to effective philanthropy and is available for your review.
The Foundation Source First Annual Report on Private Foundations
Documents trends in asset allocation, grantmaking behavior, and endowment growth/decline among private foundations with less than $50 million in assets, before and throughout the recession.
Are Charities More Effective Than Government?
In this most generous season of the year, Americans consider donations to nonprofit groups. But as budget negotiators in Washington consider major cuts in various programs, can charity efficiently and fairly take the place of government in important areas? Or does the power of wealthy patrons let them set funding priorities in the face of government cutbacks? Read the discussion.
2012 Donor-Advised Fund Report
This report from the National Philanthropic Trust analyzes the donor-advised fund market through the lens of several metrics: number of donor-advised fund accounts, total assets, contributions received, grants paid, average donor-advised fund account size and payout rate. Several of these measurements reached new heights in 2011, including a record high in the dollar amount of grants from donor-advised fund accounts.
The State of Giving to Underserved Communities
During the last few years, grantmaking classified as benefitting marginalized communities increased, a change largely attributable to an increase in funding for the economically disadvantaged.
The State of Social Justice Philanthropy
Social justice philanthropy increased through the recent recession, but the share of foundation dollars reported as supporting advocacy, organizing, civic engagement and other strategies to promote structural change remains relatively unchanged.
Investing in Civil Legal Aid
Part I of the Public Welfare Foundation's e-newsletter focused on
the need for civil legal aid, the sources of civil legal aid funding and the gap between the need and the supply of resources and programs. This e-newsletter focuses on what private philanthropy is doing and can do to help fill the void.
How Funder Conversations Helped Move Maryland Funders to Action
Learn about the conversations and events that helped start the Maryland Environmental Health Network.
