Posted on November 9, 2005

print  e-mail

Celebrating Philanthropy - Related Readings

American Marketing Association. Assessing the Importance of Brands in Consumer Involvement with Nonprofits (Chicago, Illinois: American Marketing Association)
http://www.marketingpower.com/content/Yankelovich%20Survey%20Findings~1.pdf
According to this survey of consumer perceptions by the American Marketing Association and the American Marketing Association Foundation, 78 percent of Americans say that trust in a nonprofit organization is the most important factor when considering a donation, followed by a personal belief in the nonprofit's goals (75 percent) and the organization's reputation (67 percent). (8 pages, PDF)

Bernholz, Lucy; Katherine Fulton; Gabriel Kasper. On the Brink of Promise: The Future of U.S. Community Foundations (Oakland, California: Blueprint Research & Design)
http://www.communityphilanthropy.org/pdf/FINALfutureofcommunity_
25AUG05_complete.pdf#search='On%20the%20Brink%20of%20Promise%3A%20The%20Future%20of%20U.S.%20Community%20Foundations'
This report authored by principals at the Monitor Group and Blueprint Research & Design explores the evolution of community philanthropy, with a focus on factors that have recently altered the entire field. In addition to new options and opportunities for the field, the report, which was funded by the Ford and C.S. Mott foundations, outlines the changes community foundations will have to make in order to adapt to the new environment. (68 pages, PDF)

Boris, Elizabeth; Mark Hager; Loren Renz. Foundation Expenses and Compensation: Interim Report 2005 (Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute)
http://www.fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/
pdf/foundation_5p.pdf
Funded by the C.S. Mott and Ford foundations, this interim report from researchers at Urban and the Foundation Center examines the ten thousand largest foundations in the U.S. and identifies characteristics and operating styles that affect their expenses and compensation policies, including foundation type, size, staffing, scope of activity, and direct charitable activities. (20 pages, PDF)

Brest, Paul. Update on the Hewlett Foundation's Approach to Philanthropy: The Importance of Strategy. (Menlo Park, California: William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)
http://www.hewlett.org/NR/rdonlyres/C6EFD0A1-6716-4175-99B9-5FE0C38F87F1/0/
PresidentStatement2003.pdf
Outlines the foundation's strategic infrastructure and the process it uses to select and track the progress of grantee organizations. The report also discusses the role of evaluation in the foundation's continuing efforts to improve its philanthropic work.(18 pages, PDF)

Brown, Prudence, Robert Chaskin, Ralph Hamilton, and Harold Richman. Toward Greater Effectiveness in Community Change: Challenges and Responses for Philanthropy (New York, New York: Foundation Center)
http://fdncenter.org/for_grantmakers/practice_matters/index.html
Offers a model that suggests how foundations can most effectively think about, do the work of, and learn from community change. Part of the Center's Practice Matters: The Improving Philanthropy Project. (72 pages, PDF)

Buhl, Alice. Local Donor Collaboration: Lessons From Baltimore and Beyond (Baltimore, Maryland: Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers)
http://www.abagmd.org/usr_doc/CollabFINAL.pdf
Funded by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Buhl's study looks at four ABAG grantees to explore how local cooperatives begin, the factors that enable collaboration to be effective and sustainable over time, and the unique role that a regional association can play in furthering funder collaboration. (50 pages, PDF)

Culick, Liza; Kristen Godard; Natasha Terk. The Due Diligence Tool: For Use in Pre-Grant Assessment (Washington, D.C.: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations)
http://www.geofunders.org/_uploads/documents/live/GEO%20Due%20Dilgence%20Tool.pdf
Funded with a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Due Diligence Tool is a comprehensive guide to the due-diligence process, including proposal and document review, governance and leadership issues, external communications and organizational health issues, and legal compliance issues. Includes worksheets and a list of interview questions. (65 pages, PDF)

DeVita, Christine. M. How Are We Doing? One Foundation's Efforts to Gauge its Effectiveness (New York, New York: Wallace Foundation)
http://www.wallacefoundation.org/NR/rdonlyres/
B9E2C9BC-949E-42FC-95C9-0C3FCB110DBA/0/COFPerspectiveFinal.pdf
This white paper by the president of the Wallace Foundation outlines the path the foundation followed in developing a tool for measuring its own organizational effectiveness. (5 pages, PDF)

Edmonds, Patricia. Talking the Walk: Strategic Communications in Philanthropy (New York, New York: Foundation for Child Development)
http://www.ffcd.org/about/annualreports/FCD2004AnnualReportfinal2.pdf
Analyzes the strategic communications practices of children and youth foundations, with a focus on the rationale behind adopting a strategic approach to communications and current methods of implementing and evaluating a successful strategic communications strategy. (32 pages, PDF)

Foundation for the Mid South. Reflection Memorandum/Hurricane Katrina: Looking Ahead (Memphis, Tennessee: Foundation for the Mid South)
http://www.fndmidsouth.org/Documents/Memphis_Reflection%20
memorandum_050915_final.pdf
On September 15, ninety leaders from the devastated Gulf Coast region met in Memphis at the behest of the Foundation for the Mid South to share their experiences and discuss how they could work together to help rebuild their communities and the region. A summary of that meeting, Reflection Memorandum/Hurricane Katrina: Looking Ahead, includes a list of principles identified by those in attendance to help guide reconstruction efforts, as well as five broad areas in which the nonprofit and philanthropic communities must be engaged. (12 pages, PDF)

Foundation Strategy Group. The Future of Community Foundations: The Next Decade (Miami, Florida: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation)
http://www.knightfdn.org/donorfunds/files/FSG_future_of_
community_foundations.pdf
According to this report from the Foundation Strategy Group, 69 percent of community foundations do not cover their costs from traditional fees, while 39 percent ran a deficit in at least one of the last five years. The report also notes that commercial funds increasingly are providing stiff competition for community foundations in a range of areas, including cost, technology, and marketing. It concludes by examining several survival strategies for community foundations, including greater specialization, partnering with other foundations, more sharing of best practices, and being more selective about the products they offer. (31 pages, PDF)

Fulton, Katherine; Andrew Blau. Looking Out for the Future: An Orientation for Twenty-First Century Philanthropists (Emeryville, California: Global Business Network)
http://www.gbn.com/GBNDocumentDisplayServlet.srv?aid=29577
&url=%2FUploadDocumentDisplayServlet.srv%3Fid%3D30642
In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the decisions made by individuals and institutions today will have a greater impact on the problems of tomorrow. Looking Out for the Future: An Orientation for Twenty-First Century Philanthropists explores the external forces and long-term trends affecting the philanthropic sector and encourages individuals to examine their own giving within the wide range of philanthropic choices now available. (87 pages, PDF)

Hubbard, Betsy. Investing in Leadership, Volume 1: A Grantmaker's Framework for Understanding Nonprofit Leadership Development. (Washington, D.C.: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations)
http://www.geofunders.org/_uploads/documents/live/FINAL-
InvestinLeadership%20Vol1.pdf
Funded by the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Investing in Leadership examines major theories about and perspectives on leadership; highlights the importance of leadership in the nonprofit sector; and outlines an action agenda that grantmakers can follow to more effectively meet the need for nonprofit leadership development. (40 pages, PDF)

Hughes, Robert. Philanthropies Working Together: Myths and Realities (New York, New York: Foundation Center)
http://fdncenter.org/for_grantmakers/practice_matters/practicematters_09_paper.pdf
Part of the Foundation Center's Practice Matters project, this white paper takes up the question of foundation individualism and examines the gap between rhetoric and real collaboration. (37 pages, PDF)

Ostrower, Francie. Attitudes and Practices Concerning Effective Philanthropy: Survey Report (Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute)
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411067_attitudes_practices_FR.pdf Presents findings from a survey of 1,192 foundations that examined, among other things, respondents' approaches to grantmaking, communications, collaboration, self-assessment, and staff development. (176 pages, PDF)

Siegel, Dan; Jenny Yancey. Philanthropy's Forgotten Resource? Engaging the Individual Donor (Menlo Park, California: William and Flora Hewlett Foundation)
http://www.hewlett.org/NR/rdonlyres/E2A8F872-C769-4080-
9A6D-C71B069E380C/0/DEIFinalReport.pdf
Presents the findings of a two-year Hewlett Foundation research project, the Donor Education Initiative, that mapped and assessed the current state of donor education programming, and provides a framework for future leadership in the donor education area. (71 pages, PDF)

Wolfred, Tim. Interim Executive Directors: The Power in the Middle (Baltimore, Maryland: Annie E. Casey Foundation)
http://aecf.org/publications/data/ied.pdf
Explores the benefits of using an interim executive director in a nonprofit leadership transition. The report, which was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, provides case studies that, among other things, emphasize the growth opportunities for an organization in a transition from one leader to the next. (20 pages, PDF)