PhilanTopic: The Transparent Spend Down: The Transparent Spend Down
The following post by Charles R. Bronfman, chairman of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP), is the first in a new blog series, "Making Change by Spending Down," produced by ACBP in partnership with GrantCraft, a joint service of the Foundation Center and the European Foundation Centre. In the post, Mr. Bronfman explains how he, his late wife, Andrea, and ACBP president Jeffrey Solomon arrived at the decision to spend down the foundation by 2016; why he and Solomon decided to take extra steps to create transparency around the spend-down process; and what they hope the added measure of transparency will accomplish.
Showing posts with label NPfoundationGiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NPfoundationGiving. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Small Foundations Increased Assets and Grants Last Year - Grant Makers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
Small Foundations Increased Assets and Grants Last Year - Grant Makers - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Assets of foundations worth less than $50-million grew by 10 percent in 2012 over 2011, according to a study released today, and their giving increased by slightly more than 9 percent.
Grant makers of that size account for 98 percent of the country’s approximately 86,000 foundations but only about 30 percent of foundation wealth, according to the report.
Grant makers of that size account for 98 percent of the country’s approximately 86,000 foundations but only about 30 percent of foundation wealth, according to the report.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Small Grant Makers Lead Gains in Foundation Giving, Says Study - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
Small Grant Makers Lead Gains in Foundation Giving, Says Study - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Foundations with assets under $50-million increased their giving by 9 percent last year, according to preliminary findings of a study of 700 small and midsize grant makers released today.
The smallest grant makers increased their giving the fastest, with foundations worth $1-million to $10-million responsible for most of the increase.
The smallest grant makers increased their giving the fastest, with foundations worth $1-million to $10-million responsible for most of the increase.
Friday, March 01, 2013
MacArthur grants go to nonprofits in 5 countries - Times Union
MacArthur grants go to nonprofits in 5 countries - Times Union: A group that fights in India's courts for the rights of pregnant slum-dwelling women, an organization that helps struggling immigrants in Mexico and a project that prevents foreclosures in southwest Chicago are among 13 winners of the 2013 MacArthur Foundation grants for nonprofit organizations.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
In Detroit, MRIs and PRIs Come with Some Risk But High Reward - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.
In Detroit, MRIs and PRIs Come with Some Risk But High Reward - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: The Kresge Foundation’s Rip Rapson is leading the charge for foundations to put more of their non-grant capital to work for social good. In addition to making grants, foundations can make program related investments (PRIs) which can take the form of below-market rate or even zero-interest loans, loan guarantees, or even equity investments. Some foundations, such as the Kellogg Foundation, are even using their investments for what they call “mission-related investments,” or MRIs, putting some portion of their corpus into investments that earn a market return but also further the foundation’s mission. MRIs are a strategy that has been modeled by the F.B. Heron Foundation and is slowly making its way into foundation practice.
Rapson says that foundations “are motivated to extract the highest possible value from the resources at their disposal. It’s a moral issue, and it’s a question of efficacy.” We take this to mean that foundations should be—but unfortunately, too few are—motivated in this way. In Detroit, however, where investment capital is needed to help move a broken economy in new directions, foundation PRIs and MRIs make immediate sense.
Rapson says that foundations “are motivated to extract the highest possible value from the resources at their disposal. It’s a moral issue, and it’s a question of efficacy.” We take this to mean that foundations should be—but unfortunately, too few are—motivated in this way. In Detroit, however, where investment capital is needed to help move a broken economy in new directions, foundation PRIs and MRIs make immediate sense.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Foundation Center - Press Release - New Reports Shed Light on Payout Practices and Expense Patterns of U.S. Foundations
Foundation Center - Press Release - New Reports Shed Light on Payout Practices and Expense Patterns of U.S. Foundations: New York, NY — October 23, 2012. The Foundation Center, the nation's leading authority on philanthropy, has released new reports that examine the payout practices and spending patterns of more than 1,000 larger U.S. independent foundations. These reports provide an authoritative, unbiased source of knowledge to help the public and policymakers better understand foundation practice and to help foundations benchmark their own activities.
Understanding and Benchmarking Foundation Payout explains the concept of payout, which refers to the total amount that a foundation reports as its charitable distribution. (The law requires the vast majority of private U.S. grantmaking foundations to distribute at least 5 percent of their net investment assets for charitable purposes each year.)
Understanding and Benchmarking Foundation Payout explains the concept of payout, which refers to the total amount that a foundation reports as its charitable distribution. (The law requires the vast majority of private U.S. grantmaking foundations to distribute at least 5 percent of their net investment assets for charitable purposes each year.)
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Corporate Foundation Giving Showing Signs Of Life - TheNonProfitTimes
Corporate Foundation Giving Showing Signs Of Life - TheNonProfitTimes: Giving by the nation’s approximately 2,700 grant-making corporate foundations grew to an estimated $5.2 billion in 2011, up 6 percent from 2010. Adjusted for inflation, corporate foundation giving increased 2.8 percent in the latest year. By comparison, overall foundation giving declined slightly after accounting for inflation.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Many Foundations Haven’t Discussed Atlantic-Style Spend-Down - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.
Many Foundations Haven’t Discussed Atlantic-Style Spend-Down - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: A recent New York Times profile of Atlantic Philanthropies founder Charles F. Feeney provides a glimpse of the mindset of a philanthropic leader who is set to close—in five years—one of the largest granting organizations in the U.S. Whether or not Feeney’s (age 81) high level of engagement in his organization’s spend down is or is not reflective of a broa
Monday, January 23, 2012
Charity notebook: Foundation to let public vote on nonprofits competing for grant money | syracuse.com
Charity notebook: Foundation to let public vote on nonprofits competing for grant money | syracuse.com: Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Central New York Community Foundation will celebrate its 85th anniversary this year by giving away money.
The foundation is launching a grant competition, The CNY85 Giving Project, that will be based on a public vote. The project will award grants over the course of this year to four nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Central New York.
The project that gets the most public votes on the foundation's website at the end of each quarter will receive $8,500.
The foundation is launching a grant competition, The CNY85 Giving Project, that will be based on a public vote. The project will award grants over the course of this year to four nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Central New York.
The project that gets the most public votes on the foundation's website at the end of each quarter will receive $8,500.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bay Area Community Foundation launches grant program to keep nonprofits afloat | MLive.com
Bay Area Community Foundation launches grant program to keep nonprofits afloat | MLive.com: "BAY CITY — The Bay Area Community Foundation is offering a bit of assistance to area nonprofits struggling to stay open while donations are down.
The organization is accepting grant applications to support program sustainability. Grants will be awarded for program operating support to charitable organizations which are in need of temporary funding to help maintain programs necessary to their core mission."
The organization is accepting grant applications to support program sustainability. Grants will be awarded for program operating support to charitable organizations which are in need of temporary funding to help maintain programs necessary to their core mission."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Like Individual Donors, Fewer Foundations Gave More- The NonProfit Times April 11, 2011
Like Individual Donors, Fewer Foundations Gave More- The NonProfit Times April 11, 2011: "Like Individual Donors, Fewer Foundations Gave More
The country's more than 76,000 grantmaking foundations paid out an estimated $45.7 billion in 2010, virtually unchanged from 2009. According to Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates (2011 Edition), released by the Foundation Center, 2010 giving was 2.1 percent below the record high of $46.8 billion awarded by foundations in 2008, despite the fact that foundation assets were still close to 10 percent less than their 2007 peak."
The country's more than 76,000 grantmaking foundations paid out an estimated $45.7 billion in 2010, virtually unchanged from 2009. According to Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates (2011 Edition), released by the Foundation Center, 2010 giving was 2.1 percent below the record high of $46.8 billion awarded by foundations in 2008, despite the fact that foundation assets were still close to 10 percent less than their 2007 peak."
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Foundation Keeps Up With Times - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Foundation Keeps Up With Times - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register: "Although the foundation has given more than $5 million to groups working to improve the area since it was founded in 1972, these two grants are the largest awards the foundation has made through its discretionary funds in its entire history."
Monday, November 01, 2010
Watchdog: Education foundations not doing enough - BusinessWeek
Watchdog: Education foundations not doing enough - BusinessWeek: "The study by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy said that only 11 percent of American foundations devoted at least half their grants to programs that benefit vulnerable students. It looked at 672 foundations that gave at least $1 million to educational causes from 2006 to 2008.
It said only 2 percent met the watchdog group's other main criteria for philanthropic success: spending 25 percent of its grants toward advocating for long-term change, through community building, advocacy and civil engagement."
It said only 2 percent met the watchdog group's other main criteria for philanthropic success: spending 25 percent of its grants toward advocating for long-term change, through community building, advocacy and civil engagement."
Thursday, May 06, 2010
The painful acknowledgement of coming up short
The painful acknowledgement of coming up short
We experienced this recently, as we had to re-think our involvement in the PlayPumps initiative, which brings clean drinking water to rural African villages. When we were first introduced to the technology, we believed both the technology and the business model for its deployment had enormous potential and jumped in with both feet to help create PlayPumps International-U.S. as a US-based fundraising and marketing organization to support the initiative. As we’ve noted in the past, we’re proud of the successes the initiative has had - PlayPumps are now bringing play opportunities and improved access to safe water in hundreds of communities and schools in Africa. In addition, these efforts have helped spark a number of new play-related technologies now being offered by various organizations and the initiative has highlighted the important role that social entrepreneurship can play in global development. However, we also acknowledge that the organization has fallen short of the aggressive goals that were developed at the outset, and all involved have learned many lessons.
We experienced this recently, as we had to re-think our involvement in the PlayPumps initiative, which brings clean drinking water to rural African villages. When we were first introduced to the technology, we believed both the technology and the business model for its deployment had enormous potential and jumped in with both feet to help create PlayPumps International-U.S. as a US-based fundraising and marketing organization to support the initiative. As we’ve noted in the past, we’re proud of the successes the initiative has had - PlayPumps are now bringing play opportunities and improved access to safe water in hundreds of communities and schools in Africa. In addition, these efforts have helped spark a number of new play-related technologies now being offered by various organizations and the initiative has highlighted the important role that social entrepreneurship can play in global development. However, we also acknowledge that the organization has fallen short of the aggressive goals that were developed at the outset, and all involved have learned many lessons.
Friday, April 16, 2010
After Last Year’s Decline, Foundation Giving Expected to Remain Flat in 2010 - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas
After Last Year’s Decline, Foundation Giving Expected to Remain Flat in 2010 - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Giving by the nation’s grant makers fell by more than 8 percent last year, according to a new report, marking the steepest drop ever tracked by the Foundation Center, the New York group that keeps data on American foundations. Grant dollars fell from $46.8-billion in 2008 to $42.9-billion in 2009.
Yet, according to the Foundation Center’s latest report, the decline in giving totaled less than half of the 17 percent loss in foundation assets recorded in 2008."
Yet, according to the Foundation Center’s latest report, the decline in giving totaled less than half of the 17 percent loss in foundation assets recorded in 2008."
Thursday, January 07, 2010
As total giving drops, donors looking for charitable dollars to yield more
As total giving drops, donors looking for charitable dollars to yield more: "Preliminary results of a survey of about 55 members of the Donors Forum, which includes about 115 institutional funders that annually disburse about $725 million in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, found that more than half have decreased their funding."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
$300,000 In Matching Funds For Charity Gone In 23 Minutes - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh
$300,000 In Matching Funds For Charity Gone In 23 Minutes - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh: "Supporters could go online and donate to their favorite organization. The foundation would match donations until $300,000 in matching funds were gone.
That happened in 22 minutes and 11 seconds.
Online credit card donations of $50 to $2,500 were matched 50 cents to the dollar. Over $1 million was raised in that time span."
That happened in 22 minutes and 11 seconds.
Online credit card donations of $50 to $2,500 were matched 50 cents to the dollar. Over $1 million was raised in that time span."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
MinnPost - Local foundations push online giving to save nonprofits' fundraising costs
MinnPost - Local foundations push online giving to save nonprofits' fundraising costs: "Local foundations push online giving to save nonprofits' fundraising costs
More than a dozen Minnesota foundations are pooling resources to bring philanthropy into the 21st century here. They are launching the new website GiveMN Nov. 2 to encourage individual donors to support their favorite Minnesota nonprofits by giving online. Even if the site doesn't increase overall donations, the switch to online giving will put more money to charitable use by reducing overhead."
More than a dozen Minnesota foundations are pooling resources to bring philanthropy into the 21st century here. They are launching the new website GiveMN Nov. 2 to encourage individual donors to support their favorite Minnesota nonprofits by giving online. Even if the site doesn't increase overall donations, the switch to online giving will put more money to charitable use by reducing overhead."
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Stressing results, Boston Foundation revamps its grant-giving - The Boston Globe
Stressing results, Boston Foundation revamps its grant-giving - The Boston Globe: "The biggest public charity in New England is changing the way it hands out millions of dollars to a wide range of community groups, giving more money to those it considers to be the most effective and cutting funding to others."
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Foundations Should Fund Risk and Growth - Dan Pallotta - HarvardBusiness.org
From Harvard Business Blog
Foundations Should Fund Risk and Growth - Dan Pallotta - HarvardBusiness.org: "But we expect charities to bat 1,000 — if one attempts a $5 million fundraising event that doesnʼt produce a 65% profit to the cause in the first twelve months, people want a crucifixion. So charities are petrified to initiate large-scale revenue-generating ideas that carry risk. And they routinely leave incremental revenue on the table because theyʼre uncertain if it can be raised at 35% cost or less. This is but one of the donating publicʼs restraints that leave nonprofits unable to scale up to anything near the size of the problems they are chartered to confront.
Itʼs critical that we change this public thinking — get donors to understand that investment in risk is investment in growth and without growth the nonprofit sector, and all those it exists to help, donʼt stand a chance. That change may take a while."
Foundations Should Fund Risk and Growth - Dan Pallotta - HarvardBusiness.org: "But we expect charities to bat 1,000 — if one attempts a $5 million fundraising event that doesnʼt produce a 65% profit to the cause in the first twelve months, people want a crucifixion. So charities are petrified to initiate large-scale revenue-generating ideas that carry risk. And they routinely leave incremental revenue on the table because theyʼre uncertain if it can be raised at 35% cost or less. This is but one of the donating publicʼs restraints that leave nonprofits unable to scale up to anything near the size of the problems they are chartered to confront.
Itʼs critical that we change this public thinking — get donors to understand that investment in risk is investment in growth and without growth the nonprofit sector, and all those it exists to help, donʼt stand a chance. That change may take a while."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)