Nonprofit Literature Blog

Social Justice Philanthropy: Case Studies

Are you interested in reading case studies of foundations that are supporting social change initiatives? Change Philanthropy is a new book that presents funding strategies and lessons learned over the years from a number of grantmakers, including the Ford Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Global Fund for Women. Each chapter focuses on a different funder, covering a variety of topics such as advocacy campaigns, socially responsible investing, business development in neighborhoods, support for immigrants, community funding boards, disaster recovery, and other areas.

Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice (Jossey-Bass 2009) was written by Alicia Epstein Korten.

A limited preview is available at Google Books.

Here is an automated search for foundation case studies (from the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature).

New Foundation Center Research

The report, Benchmarking Diversity: A First Look at New York City Foundations and Nonprofits is examines survey data from 95 grantmaking foundations and 540 nonprofit organizations in the five boroughs. (free download)

 

The latest research advisory, Foundations' Year-end Outlook for Giving and the Sector, indicates that foundation giving will likely decline by more than 10 percent in 2009 with continued reductions expected in 2010. The survey findings are based on responses from close to 600 foundations. (free download)

Also new:
The Foundation Center has just released the Celebrity Foundation Directory which includes descriptions of thousands of foundations established by individuals in entertainment, politics, sports, and more. Available only in PDF format, the directory can be purchased here.

Philanthropy Chat

Philanthropy Chat is the Foundation Center’s series of podcasts featuring experts in the field of philanthropy and fundraising. Listen to our latest interviews:

Tobie Stein, the director of the Masters of Fine Arts Program in Performing Arts Management at Brooklyn College and author of Performing Arts Management: A Handbook of Professional Practices, describes the fundraising environment for performing arts groups and provides guidance for organizations preparing for their next fundraising campaign. Listen

Paul Firstenberg, author of The 21st Century Nonprofit: Managing in the Age of Governance, 2nd ed. (a Foundation Center publication), explores transparency and accountability, board recruitment issues, the development profession, challenges for executive directors, and capacity building for small nonprofits. Listen

Shelly Cryer, author of The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference, talks about transition rates in the arts sector, accountability standards, becoming an executive director, and preparing for a career in the nonprofit sector. Listen

Find more podcasts in our Audio Archive.

Stories, Poems, and Verses on Philanthropy

If you have enjoyed Amy Kass's anthologies on philanthropy and would like to explore other readings on giving, take a look at The Wisdom of Generosity (Baylor University Press). This compilation of stories, poems, verses, songs, folktales, speeches, and narratives represent the numerous perspectives on philanthropy over the course of American history. The volume is divided into four parts:

• Our Roots in the Wisdom of Nature and Christian Charity (1600-1700)

• Philanthropy and Liberty in the Enlightenment Era (1700-1800)

• Generous Spirit and the Development of Social Conscience (1800-1900)

• Giving in 'The American Century' and It’s Secularization (1900-2007)

The anthology contains passages by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bob Dylan, Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, Bill Moyers, Jeffry Sachs, Bill Clinton, and many others.

The Wisdom of Generosity: A Reader in American Philanthropy was edited by William J. Jackson, Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Perdue University at Indianapolis.

Nonprofits and Entrepreneurs: Bridging the Gap and Promoting Philanthropy

Entrepreneurs can incorporate their passion and energy from their business endeavors into their work with nonprofits. Before building relationships with entrepreneurs, try to gain a better understanding of how they think and what their expectations may be. Lisa M. Dietlin has just written a book Transformational Philanthropy that explains how to successfully engage entrepreneurs and cultivate them effectively. Chapters explore the qualities of entrepreneurs, frustrations and misconceptions, celebrity philanthropy, and other topics.

If you are an entrepreneur, Dietlin has included tips in the book to help you make better philanthropic decisions. The book also contains 21 stories based on interviews with entrepreneurs.

A limited preview of Transformation Philanthropy: Entrepreneurs and Nonprofits (Jones and Barlett Publishers, 2009) is available at Google Books.

The Impact of Foundations on Arts and Communications: A Historical View

October is Funding for Arts Month at the Foundation Center. Visit our libraries and browse the arts-related materials in our collections.

We have recently added the book, Patronizing the Public: American Philanthropy's Transformation of Culture, Communication, and the Humanities to the library.

In this volume, experts contribute chapters that explore the impact of American foundations on arts and culture, with a focus on the period from the 1920s to the 1970s. Thoroughly researched with support from the Rockefeller Archive Center, the scholars examine a number of fields, including performing arts, radio, television, and cinema. The book also contains chapters that touch upon the history of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the development of the film library at the Museum of Modern Art.

The volume is edited by William J. Buxton and published by Lexington Books.

Click here to browse other arts-related materials recently added to the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

New Discussion Guide for Grantmakers

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations has released a new booklet, On the Money, to help funders explore options for improving the financial stability of nonprofit organizations. The first section examines several key challenges for charities, including funding restrictions and the knowledge gaps in nonprofit finance.

Section two of the publication helps grantmakers understand that their concerns over accounting rules, evaluation, sustainability, trust, and foundation perpetuity may limit their full philanthropic potential. The final section explains the approaches foundations can take to learn from grantees, streamline grantmaking practices, and use other financial tools such as program-related investments.

The booklet contains discussion questions for grantmakers, a glossary of major terms, and an extensive bibliography.

On the Money: The Financial Challenges Facing Nonprofits Today – and How Grantmakers Can Help is available for download at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations web site.

The Role of Giving Circles in a Democratic Society

As the debate continues over the role of government in addressing society’s needs, many observers wonder how philanthropy may fill this gap. Angela Eikenberry, Assistant Professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, has released a new book that examines the extent to which giving circles are able to enhance civic engagement and tackle community issues with philanthropic resources. In the volume, Eikenberry discusses several topics including the marketization of voluntarism and the democratic effects of giving circles.

She notes, “We should encourage a flourishing of philanthropic associations such as giving circles, but realize that their biggest contribution to democratic governance is more about what they enable members to give back to their communities rather than what funding recipients and the community gain from these gifts.” To learn more about Eikenberry’s analysis, take a look at Giving Circles: Philanthropy, Voluntary Association, and Democracy, published by Indiana University Press. A preview is available at Google Books.

Related Report:
Giving Circles’ Influence on Members’ Philanthropic and Civic Behaviors, Knowledge and Attitudes

Recent "Off the Shelf" Book Reviews

Here are excerpts from Philanthropy News Digest's Off the Shelf book reviews:

The Influential Fundraiser: Using the Psychology of Persuasion to Achieve Outstanding Results. Bernard Ross and Clare Segal (Wiley, 2008)
"…The Influential Fundraiser delves into every form in which language is expressed — spoken, written, and nonverbal — to provide advice and specific tips designed to help fundraisers use it with maximum impact..." More…

Seeing Through a Donor's Eyes: How to Make a Persuasive Case for Everything from Your Annual Drive to Your Planned Giving Program to Your Capital Campaign. Tom Ahern (Emerson & Church, 2009)
"…Seeing Through a Donor's Eyes is perfect for the time-strapped nonprofit staffer (and who isn't?) who wants to create consistent, compelling messages that will make it past the filters of equally time-strapped donors..." More…

For a full list of archived Off the Shelf reviews, click here.

Comparing Family Foundation Giving (US and UK)

Are you trying to compare U.S. philanthropy with giving in other countries? You can start off with a new report that examines the top 100 family foundations in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy based on 2006/2007 data.

In Family Foundation Philanthropy 2009, you will learn that total charitable giving at the largest U.S. family foundations was three times greater than the top grantmakers in the United Kingdom. When the charitable spending was measured as a percentage of GDP however, the UK ranked higher (0.1% of GDP in the UK, 0.03% in Germany, and 0.05% in the United States).

This report also contains qualitative analyses, including several case studies for each country.

Click here to read the full report. 

For more information about family foundations in the U.S., remember to read the Foundation Center’s latest Key Facts report.