
Articles


Community Philanthropy in Central and Eastern Europe
This primer has been written for people who are interested in learning about community philanthropy organizations and the role they can play in strengthening communities in Central/Eastern Europe. The text explains what community philanthropy organizations […]

How to Show Off Your Wicked Strong Sexy and Incredibly Effective Nonprofit
…while attracting the supporters, funders, and partners you’ve always wanted…while being the change you want to see […]

Measures of Success Reflect Someone’s Vision of Success
Measures of success, especially in the nonprofit world, reflect someone’s personal vision of success. The choice of measures for gauging the success or effectiveness of a nonprofit organization is not as objective as one might […]

Op-Ed: Philanthropy Must Address Structural Inequities
Op-Ed: Philanthropy Must Address Structural Inequities (pdf) See also Pathways to Progress: Moving Philanthropy Closer to Social Justice and Racial Equity. Developed with support from the Ford Foundation. By Steven E. Mayer, Ph.D. / Effective Communities […]

Can Grantmakers and Nonprofits Work Together? Can Anyone See These Indicators of Success?
If there really were a growing trend of cooperation between grantmakers and nonprofits, what would we notice? A partial list includes:
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The Assets Model of Community Development
The “assets model of community development,” as distinct from the “deficits model,” has really caught on in philanthropy in the last 30 years. Articulated first by John McKnight at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute, the […]

Education Works Only When Justice and Economics Work
When trouble brews… When trouble brews and the people in charge realize there’s trouble ahead, politicians like to double down on Education. But doubling down on Education works only when our Justice systems and Economics […]

Supporting Low-Income Neighborhood Organizations: A Guide for Community Foundations
Can community foundations learn, if given the opportunity, to be effective vehicles for channeling support to low-income neighborhood organizations while increasing their own resources, grantmaking skills, and leadership role in the community? That was the question […]

Relationships as Infrastructure in Southern African American Communities
“In human society, relationships act as a basic infrastructure, providing an underlying framework for getting things done.” This is one of the key insights of Betty Emarita, of Training and Development Resources, as part of […]