#grantmaker

Are You a Narcissist or a Philanthropist?

Three examples of the damage narcissism can cause to philanthropic efforts.

Narcissists are extremely self-centered people who have an exaggerated sense of their own importance, and are more concerned with their own desires and interests over the needs of others. Sound like any people you know? Perhaps the last person you dated or an elected official? How about a donor or foundation leader?…

One Guaranteed Way to Scare Your Grantees!

Nothing creates heart pounding ghoulish fear in the minds of a grantee like hearing from their funder: “We’re about to start strategic planning.”

A funder undergoing strategic planning can put the nail in the coffin for grantees…at least temporarily. Philanthropic strategy development seems to last forever. During this time, and often behind closed doors, the funder might “suspend grantmaking” to…

Ask One Question To Save Time, Save Money And Achieve Greater Impact

Change the outcomes in your philanthropic journey.

Learning isn’t hard to do, but it must be intentional and continuous. Whatever role you play in philanthropy—be it donor, foundation leader or trustee—in order to make a real impact, you have to ask the right questions.

And there is one question that is guaranteed to save time and money and help achieve dramatic results. It’s a simple question,…

6 Back to School Lessons for Grantmakers

Get excited and be prepared to launch your new initiative.

After a long summer of late nights, fun in the sun and a relaxed schedule, families across the country are preparing for kids to get back to school.

There’s a lot of build up to that first big day – planning for cooler weather, getting school supplies, buying new clothes, reuniting with old friends, and making new ones. There is a…

How to Prepare for These 5 Grantmaking Challenges

Do more than ready yourself for the unexpected.

We have been told for most of our lives to prepare for the unexpected—save for a rainy day, have a Plan B and apply to some “safety schools” in case you don’t get accepted by your top-choice university. While being prepared for the unexpected is smart, it’s not as important as being prepared for the expected.

As a philanthropist, your ultimate goal…

Small Donors, Big Thinking

How Small Investors Can Change the World

“Small but mighty” is a phrase we’ve seen applied time and again to describe something that seems too little to notice but that packs a wallop when it comes to impact. A boy named David fells giant Goliath with a single stone. An ant moves a rubber tree plant. The electrons of two hydrogen atoms bond with an oxygen atom, creating life-giving water.

A…

Are You Running in Circles or Making an Impact?

Follow a program development life cycle to achieve the greatest funding impact.

Our society focuses on getting things done. Check the box. Scratch it off the list. Move on to the next thing. But when it comes to making lasting change, funders should think of their work in terms of a cycle, not a linear progression. This doesn’t mean funders should run in circles, but they should realize that…