Washington Snapshot - June 13, 2014
We loved seeing so many of our readers and Council members at our 2014 Annual Conference: Philanthropy Exchange this week! We hope you enjoyed your time in D.C., connected with colleagues old and new, and learned as much as we did.
Community Foundation Survey
Last week, your community foundation…
Doing Right By Veterans On Memorial Day And Beyond
The following piece originally appeared on Forbes.com. It is written by Brad Phillips of the Institute for Evidence Based Change, a Lumina Foundation grantee.
The largest influx of veterans since the end of World War II will return to the workforce and college in the next several years. The surge…
A Minnesota Yankee in King Arthur’s Court? Questions on Regional Cultures and Philanthropy
During the 2014 Annual Conference - Philanthropy Exchange - we will be posting blogs written by speakers and attendees. If you are interested in blogging with the Council, contact john.cochrane@cof.org.
Can you be part of Yankeedom if you live in Minnesota? Have you ever been to “New France?” Are…
Vikki Spruill Remarks on the State of American Philanthropy
Thank you, Good afternoon. I think we all have a thing or two to learn from amazing students like these.
I’m grateful to Gwen and the News Literacy Project for an enlightening discussion and for joining us here today. And, thanks to all of you for joining us at the 2014 Annual Conference of the…
Washington Snapshot - June 6, 2014
Community Foundation Survey
Last week, your community foundation may have received a survey on donor advised funds (DAFs) from Elizabeth Boris of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at The Urban Institute. As the Council and our colleagues address critical issues of concern to community…
Remembering Quran Burning Day as a Win for Religion
I love my city of Chicago. One of my prouder moments occurred in 2010 which, to me, witnessed the manifestation of about ten years of outreach, communication, and deepening mutual respect across normative borders. It came out of years of interfaith dialogue and growing friendships.
At the end of…
The Fourth Dimension of a Great Idea
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” Albert Einstein
Imagine this: a well-intended, charitably-inclined person of wealth creates a trust in the year 1514. This generous benefactor, deeply committed to an altruistic objective, funds the philanthropic cause without…
Small Grants, Big Difference
I enjoyed presenting at a great session, “Small Grants, Big Difference,” during last week’s Council on Foundations Annual Conference with Daniel Tillias of Pax Christi Sakala in Haiti; Kate Ahern of the Case Foundation; and Monica LaBiche Brown of Water for People. It was great that 75 or more…
New Focus, Opportunity for Funding in Community News and Information
2013 Knight Community Information Challenge from Knight Foundation
Starting May 1, Knight Foundation will again be offering matching funds to community and place-based foundations seeking to make an impact by funding news and information projects. This year, however, the Knight Community…
Measuring a Good Idea
Thank you, Jennifer Lentfer, for making it okay to say, “I don’t know.” Well, for encouraging us to say it more frequently, anyway.
Her Values and Evidence – Not at Odds: Seeking a Healthier Relationship with Results in International Philanthropy talk explored our preoccupation with measuring…
Philanthropy's Critical Moment
Russell Conwell was a motivational speaker at the turn of the 20th century who had a famous talk called “Acres of Diamonds” that he allegedly delivered 6,000 times. The talk began with a story about an ancient Arab—Ali Hafed—who longed to find a diamond mine so that he could influence the world…
First Timer from Across the Pond
Having moved from London to New York just two weeks earlier, I walked into the Council on Foundatons’ day-long global preconference session with trepidation; would I remember what my organization did? Would the other attendees groan when they realised I was a fundraiser? Would they understand my…