Issue Briefing
Community foundations are beginning to deepen and shift how they work, adopting an anchor mission that seeks to fully deploy all resources to build community wealth. Moving into territory relatively uncharted for community foundations, they are taking up impact investing and economic development — some in advanced ways, others with small steps. This report offers an overview of how 30 representative community foundations — including The Seattle Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation — are working toward adopting this new anchor mission.
Foundations Facilitate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Partnering with Community and Nonprofits, a report by the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, confirms that foundations can, in fact, facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through their grantmaking processes and their partnerships with nonprofits—and identifies eight specific practices for foundations to emulate.
Released in June 2014, this report lays out a vision and a bold plan of action to maximize the potential of philanthropy and the private sector to increase opportunity for boys and young men of color that benefits the entire country.
When considering how to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals, most people think about providing access to good medical care and keeping the cost of that care as low as possible. What people rarely think about is the connection between good health and quality affordable housing. This edition of What Funders Need to Know explores these connections and highlights some promising practices by both government and business that help low-income individuals get housed, stay healthier, and lower overall costs.
The National Center for Family Philanthropy and Youth Philanthropy Connect, a program of the Frieda C. Fox Foundation, have joined together to bring new resources to the field of philanthropy focused on engaging the next generation of donors and family members. Igniting the Spark: Creating Effective Next Gen Boards is the first publication of its kind, offering a comprehensive overview of the growing practice among family foundations and donor advised fund holders of using next generation boards.
In this new monograph, Philanthropy Northwest board member Daniel Kemmis explores the sometimes-fraught relationship between philanthropy and democracy. Beginning with a wide-ranging stroll through the shared history of philanthropy and democracy, Kemmis examines the current post-Citizens United landscape and asks whether philanthropy can and should do more to strengthen the infrastructure and practices of democracy.
Why is the food system important to philanthropy? Because hunger, food insecurity, nutrition-related chronic disease, the health of resource lands and waterways, wages, and equal opportunity in the food economy all converge in our regional food system.
In a 2013 survey, funders were asked about the biggest transparency challenges they faced. The highest response was “not enough clarity around practical steps for being transparent.” This guide from GrantCraft & Glasspockets is helping foundations open up with clear action steps.
Communities thrive when people are housed comfortably, safely, and affordably. This is especially true for children. And when children thrive, their educational and other outcomes are more likely to be positive. Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers' What Funders Need to Know looks at the connection between stable housing and educational outcomes.
Philanthropic organizations of all shapes and sizes are well positioned to support Communities for a Lifetime (CfaL). This issue brief explores four roles for philanthropy in advancing CfaL work.
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