Weekly Reads
“New data in Independent Sector’s just-released Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector: A Quarterly Review shows the nation’s 1.8 million nonprofits contributed $1.5 trillion to the economy in the fourth quarter of 2022. The number of donors, however, declined 7% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and is visible across all sizes of donations—a downward trend that demonstrates the need to reinstate charitable giving incentives for all taxpayers through the Charitable Act.” [more]
“Often boards and donors are inclined to hold back support during leadership changes, waiting for the new [executive director] to prove themself. However, the reality is that this can create harm and increase the risk that the transition won't be successful. What if instead of withholding support we focused on creating the conditions needed for this next generation of leaders to thrive?” [more]
Jennifer W. Aronson, Cricket Family Foundation
“When we say accountability, we mean creating consistent and ongoing opportunities for Community Advisors and other partners we work with to provide their guidance and feedback to our funding and activities. The aim is to ensure that our grantmaking remains aligned with our values, that we stay connected and responsive to community needs and priorities, and our learnings are elevated within the broader field of philanthropy.” [more]
Jazmin Segura, Fund for an Inclusive California, and Maricela Piña, Community Centered Evaluation & Research, for Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
“Are we funders using capacity-building support as a substitute for what organizations really need, that is, multi-year, flexible support? Is it a disservice to provide capacity-building funds without operating capital to implement them? That’s why I appreciate that BUILD grants from the Ford Foundation, where I work, are a combination of flexible support and capacity-building funds, what we call targeted support for institutional strengthening. Nonprofits need both kinds of funding, or as my colleague Victoria Dunning puts it, fuel for the tank and maintenance for the car.” [more]
Chris Cardona, Ford Foundation, for Building Movement Project
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