Philanthropy by definition is a noble endeavor. Yet people want to know, “what good does philanthropy do?” The answer is hard to get, partly because philanthropy doesn’t really want to know, and evaluation doesn’t really know how to serve up good answers. This article illuminates the dilemma. […]
This paper is the culmination of five years’ work evaluating Ford Foundation’s portfolio of grants, “Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity in the American South.” It is based on reflective, focused, and appreciative conversations with nearly 100 philanthropic organizations operating in both African American and White American settings. […]
Since I made such a big thing about dignity in my last post, can we acknowledge something like a “dignity gap?” Not trying to introduce new jargon, but the notion is this: We’re familiar with […]
Early in my professional life, the Dayton Hudson Foundation (predecessor to Target Foundation) came to me with this challenging opportunity. “Forty percent of our grantmaking budget is now dedicated to what we’re calling ‘Social Action.’ […]
What is “advocacy”? The word is from Latin, meaning “to give voice” to a cause that it might progress and succeed. Advocacy has recently become a legitimate strategy to promote social change. What is advocacy, […]
I went to see “12 Years a Slave” the other night, but was a little apprehensive about going, given what I’d heard. To keep it together I decided to write down all the indicators of […]
“It’s hard to see racism when you’re White,” the billboards erected by Duluth’s [former] Un-Fair Campaign allege. The billboard conveys the message very directly of institutional racism. Enraged Whites, according to an article in the […]
In Effective Philanthropy: Make a Difference we made the point that different programs focus their action differently. Some want to create change at the individual level. Others want to create change at the system level, […]
Can philanthropy create greater racial equity and social justice? Good question. And the answer is Yes, we learned in a five-year inquiry with support from the Ford Foundation. What does philanthropy do to make progress […]
As seen on TV! Download free, the editors cut of my 1994 classic, “Building Community Capacity: The Potential of Community Foundations.” This easy-reading book relates the successful experience of 17 community foundations participating in the […]
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