This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Earlier this summer, Mackenzie Scott made a massive $2.7 billion investment in support of 286 organizations working to spark change and empower individuals. My organization, the Center for Cultural Power, was one of them. We…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Nonprofit leaders and sector advocates have long called on funders to prioritize strengthening nonprofit organizations. Our research here at CEP has found that nonprofit leaders not only want help from…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we expected to see a wave of nonprofit mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Like many others, we thought that the pandemic’s challenges would…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Assumptions – making decisions without proof – can be dangerous in philanthropy. When funders assume what communities need rather than continually listening, revising processes and shifting support based on localised…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Even the largest place-based funders have comparatively limited resources to support community priorities. In recent years, many of the place-based funders from 12 regions across the country who gathered in a learning…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Funders’ identities inevitably shape how they show up within organizations and communities. Many people of color have spent their philanthropic careers trying to navigate the white centers of power that…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. There is a growing recognition across place-based funders that they can use the privilege and power they hold—as well as their proximity to regional public and private sector power brokers—to…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. When working with the public sector, place-based funders often play the role of “critical friend” in linking community-based organizations with municipal and regional authorities. They collaborate with elected officials and…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. Place-based funders are eager to explore what it looks like when philanthropies build authentic relationships with community members. The 12 peer funders who gathered in a learning group in 2020 shared how…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. About Sasha Issue area: Women and Girls Geographic focus: San Francisco Bay Area and International (East Africa, Latin America, & Nepal) Giving vehicle: Donor-advised Fund (the HOW Fund) Years in…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. When is it time for an NGO to exit? Trick question: It’s always time. Of course, I don’t mean every NGO should close its doors immediately; I mean that every foreign-funded development…
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators. 1. Identify the Kind of Design Skills You Need Human-centered design is a systematic process that uses diverse skills to analyze problems in context and to pursue innovation while placing…