FavoriteThis guide captures the wisdom of philanthropic leaders who have participated in multi-party advocacy collaboratives. It synthesizes information to dig deeper and understand the pain points and levers of success tied to funding advocacy and donor collaboratives.
FavoriteNative American Philanthropy: A tool designed to help philanthropy understand, connect, and support Native American communities.
Favorite IssueLab: A searchable collection of approximately 30,000 evaluations/reports/white papers, along with our Open For Good GrantCraft Guide, which walks funders through the steps for openly sharing what is learned by foundation knowledge/evaluations.
Favorite GlassPockets: A website designed to champion greater philanthropic transparency. Tools include a self-assessment to improve the transparency of foundation websites, and a related GrantCraft guide to walk funders through a step-by-step process to transparency.
Favorite Scholarships for Change: A website and set of tools to help donors increase the impact of scholarship philanthropy.
FavoriteThe Center for Disaster Philanthropy is proud to partner with Candid (formerly Foundation Center and GuideStar), the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide, to present this interactive dashboard, which provides an analysis of disaster-related funding by foundations, governments, corporations, and individuals. The data presented here illuminate funding trends, expose imbalances in where and when contributions are made, and can help donors make more strategic decisions about their investments in the full life cycle of disasters, including preparedness and recovery efforts. Key findings for 2017 funding reveal: $504 million in funding by foundations and public charities for disasters and humanitarian Read more
FavoriteFoundation Funding for U.S. Democracy is a data visualization platform featuring tens of thousands of grants, available to anyone interested in understanding philanthropy’s role in U.S. democracy. Candid, in partnership with eight foundations, developed the Foundation Funding for U.S. Democracy data visualization platform that captures the myriad democracy-related activities that foundations have supported from 2011 to present. Specifically designed for funders, nonprofits, journalists, and anyone interested in understanding philanthropy’s role in U.S. democracy, it can be used to scan the funding landscape, analyze funder and nonprofit networks, increase knowledge about democracy funding, and more. About the Data The data that Read more
FavoriteFrom 2002 to 2016, large U.S. foundations gave, on average, 0.4 percent of total annual funding to Native American communities and causes, although the Alaska Native and American Indian population represents 2 percent of the total U.S. population. This forthcoming report provides the latest data on foundation funding for Native Americans, alongside important historical context that has contributed to the unique experiences and challenges Native Americans face today. The report also consolidates advice and feedback from philanthropic and Native leaders, who reflect on successful work and practices in partnering with Native organizations and communities.
Favorite The guide lays out the benefits of knowledge sharing in philanthropy for both the receivers and sharers of knowledge. It also explores barriers that get in the way of foundations sharing knowledge and strategies to overcome those barriers. Sprinkled throughout are ideas to borrow from grantmakers (shared knowledge!) and practical examples of how foundations of all sizes and types are experimenting with new ways to share insights. Finally, this guide will help grantmakers understand where they fit within philanthropy’s knowledge sharing landscape and encourage advancing their organizational capacities and practices.
FavoriteThere are an estimated 10 million non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide. If NGOs were a country, they’d have the fifth-largest economy in the world.¹ The nonprofit sector in the United States alone contributed more than $930 billion to the economy in 2014.² Given the volume and complexity of civil society organizations around the world, a substantial ecosystem of support organizations have emerged over time to enable, strengthen, and evolve their work. These support organizations, also known as “infrastructure organizations,” provide essential services such as strategic planning; evaluation, assessment, and feedback; board and staff development; data and research; legal services; business modeling; and support Read more
FavoriteParticipatory grantmaking is increasingly visible and of interest to a range of funders, because it revolutionizes traditional structures of philanthropy. Specifically: It redefines who qualifies as a “grantmaker,” and challenges traditional power dynamics, which affect everything from who knows about grant opportunities to who gets those grants. It goes beyond grantmaking to the importance of advancing public and democratic participation in decision making. It strengthens trust and credibility between donors and grantees. Written by Cynthia Gibson, the guide features voices and examples drawn from a range of participatory grantmakers. Participatory grantmaking models range in geographic scale—from local neighborhoods to global Read more
FavoriteThis report represents the latest in a decades-long collaboration between Foundation Center and Council on Foundations to regularly analyze the data and trends on international grantmaking by U.S. foundations. In addition to a detailed analysis of funding trends by issue areas, regions, population focus, and strategies, this report also relates these trends to key events and developments during the time period, such as the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Ebola crisis in West Africa, the reversal of the global gag rule, and the increasing legal restrictions faced by civil society in countries around the world.
Favorite As communities worldwide are becoming more diverse, they are increasingly tackling the realities of systemic inequity. Philanthropy too must acknowledge its place in the context of transformative demographic changes. Addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been an ongoing challenge within philanthropy, and while there has been progress, it requires continual work. This GrantCraft leadership series paper by Barbara Chow dives into those challenges and opportunities to explore how DEI can become more integrated into grantmaking practices and broader foundation ethos. This paper aims to inspire new ideas and thinking by foundations about how DEI can become more integrated in grantmaking practices Read more
Favorite This paper is for donors looking for ways to ensure that our interventions produce lasting results that are owned and directed by the people they are meant to benefit. It offers practical advice and examples based on the experiences of a variety of different donors, as well as some thoughts on how we donors can do more to share and shift power while fulfilling our own institutional oversight and accountability requirements.
Favorite Since its launch in 2016, the Peace and Security Funding Index has helped define the field of peace and security grantmaking. Each year, we collect and categorize thousands of grants awarded by hundreds of foundations working on peace and security issues across the globe. In 2015—the latest complete year for which grants data is available1—336 foundations made 2,908 grants, totaling $351 million, in support of peace and security work. This research centers around a framework of three overarching categories that support activities to prevent future conflict, resolve existing conflict, and support stability and resiliency. The three categories are further Read more
FavoriteIn 2017 Foundation Center surveyed a sample of U.S.-based foundations about whether they conduct evaluations, what they evaluate, and whether they share what they learn outside of their organization. This infographic lays out key findings from that survey.
FavoriteSupport for disaster risk reduction and preparedness can mitigate the impact of disasters, and many communities need sustained funding for the long road to recovery. We hope this analysis will aid donors in considering how to maximize the impact of their disaster-related giving.
FavoriteTo realize this vision of improved data for deeper philanthropic impact and transparency, WINGS, Foundation Center, CENTRIS, and partners from around the world created and refined the Global Philanthropy Data Charter. The main objective of this revision is to make the document more accessible and provide concrete guidance on how to successfully engage in data-sharing processes.
FavoriteThis report, a joint effort by the Council on Foundations and Foundation Center, examines the current state and recent trends in international giving and engagement by large U.S. community foundations. The first-ever analysis of this type suggests that many community foundations are beginning to adopt a broader, more nuanced definition of “community” than they have in the past.
FavoriteThis GrantCraft Leadership Series paper produced in partnership with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, explores the core frameworks that shape private foundations, and offers a roadmap for funders interested in reflecting on these frameworks to better align purpose, public benefit, and action.
FavoriteThis publication is an annual industry forecast about the ways we use private resources for public benefit. Each year, the Blueprint provides an overview of the current landscape, points to major trends, and directs your attention to horizons where you can expect some important breakthroughs in the coming year.
FavoriteThis publication seeks to provide inspiration and early proof of concept regarding innovative practices at every stage of the grantmaking process. The examples and lessons included can act as suggested guidelines for future research and experimentation around more openly and effectively providing access to public money.
FavoriteThis guide looks at how funders collaborate with and bring support to indigenous communities around the world. Through examples from a diverse range of foundations, this guide explores how grantmakers work with indigenous peoples, the approaches they take, and the practices they find effective.
FavoriteThis guide offers practical lessons in communicating for impact based on the experiences of funders and others involved in social investment in South Africa. It explores universal themes related to how to communicate with partners, social investors, and grantees; how to identify and achieve communication goals; and how different media can help enhance different messages.
Favorite In this publication, we look at how funders approach building capacity with grantees. Through examples from foundations ranging in size, mission, and geography, we explore various strategies for capacity building and the types of awareness that funders can choose to incorporate in decision making to facilitate informed, thoughtful judgments about strengthening organizations.
FavoriteThis report shares reflections on an in-depth examination of the story and needs of youth grantmaking (young people making monetary contributions to organizations through established institutions or governing bodies). The report finds that while more than 200 foundations worldwide offer youth grantmaking programs and more than 100 related resources exist, that information is not broadly available. This scan was conducted in partnership with Youth Philanthropy Connect, a program of the Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation.
FavoriteThis tool identifies seven challenges in grantmaking, as well as the practices and skills that can help you meet them: Planning My Work, Organizing for Impact, Working with Grantees, Finding Allies, Making the Grant, Understanding My Role, Leading on the Inside.
