Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco

Two Special Events for Arts Organizations: On Partnerships and Real Estate Acquisition

We would like to draw your attention to two unique upcoming events for art organizations in celebration of Funding for Arts Month at the Foundation Center - San Francisco:

Thursday, October 8, 10am-12pm: Popping the Partnership Question: What Arts Organizations Need to Know about Partnerships, Collaborations, and Mergers  Bob Harrington of La Piana Consulting will describe the various partnership options available to nonprofit arts organizations, discuss the benefits and challenges of restructuring, and provide examples of arts organization partnerships. Register>>

Thursday, October 15, 3-5pm: The Upside of a Down Economy: Real Estate Acquisition for Arts Organizations Learn from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which has been taking advantage of the real estate market to expand. We will also feature advice from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, who will discuss best practices in planning your facility project and the impact this can have on an organization's mission, programs, structure, operations, fundraising and financial health. Register>>

Both of these programs will take place at The Foundation Center-San Francisco, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Directions>>

Be sure to check out our October Funding for Arts Month Calendar for a complete list of upcoming free programs.

Thanks to Our Funding for Arts Month Sponsors: James Irvine Foundation and Walter & Elise Haas Fund.

Thursday, October 15, 3-5pm: The Upside of a Down Economy: Real Estate Acquisition for Arts Organizations Learn from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which has been taking advantage of the real estate market to expand. We will also feature advice from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, who will discuss best practices in planning your facility project and the impact this can have on an organization's mission, programs, structure, operations, fundraising and financial health. Register>>

Upcoming Special Program: Fiscal Sponsorship & The Arts, Wednesday 9/30

We are kicking off Funding for Arts Month early and invite you to join us for a special opportunity to learn from Fractured Atlas, a national nonprofit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. The session is designed for anyone who is interested in using fiscal sponsorship including individuals, emerging organizations, the general public, currently sponsored projects, and potential applicants to the Fractured Atlas fiscal sponsorship program. This session will explore the benefits and use of Fractured Atlas' fiscal sponsorship program as a fundraising tool, as well as include an overview of fiscal sponsorship and how to apply, how to use the tools within the program and an introduction to fundraising.

When: Wednesday, September 30th, 5:00-6:30 pm

Where: The Foundation Center-San Francisco, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Register: This program is offered free of charge, however space is limited. We recommend you register online, in person, or call 415-397-0902.

Visit our FAQs for more information on Fiscal Sponsorship, including a free short tutorial: Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship & Affiliation.

Be sure to check out our October Funding for Arts Month Calendar for a complete list of upcoming free programs.  

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

The Foundation Center announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, the web portal developed by the Foundation Center with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. It connects foundation funders in education to information and tools that will help them support ARRA's education reform goals.

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

Read the full press release for details on the contents and uses of the portal.

The Foundation Center announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, the web portal developed by the Foundation Center with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. It connects foundation funders in education to information and tools that will help them support ARRA's education reform goals.

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

Read the full press release for details on the contents and uses of the portal.

New Edition of The 21st Century Nonprofit

The Foundation Center has recently published the second edition of The 21st Century Nonprofit,  expanding and updating the original work and detailing the significant improvements in management practice that have taken place in recent years.

This new edition discusses the growing emphasis on governance reform, with a focus on three main concepts: accountability, transparency, and responsibility. New sections examine the increasingly pivotal role of board members in governance, as well as the implications for executive directors and other professional staff. Revised chapters contain updated information on strategic and operational issues, such as long-term planning, marketing, and earned income. The new edition also provides a special discussion of the strategic issues facing nonprofits during times of recession and severe economic downturn.

The 21st Century Nonprofit is available for purchase online at the Marketplace section of our web site or at any of our five library/learning centers across the U.S. Order your copy today! >>

About the Author
Paul Firstenberg has had extensive experience in the philanthropic sector as an executive, trustee, advisor, author, and teacher. He has held leadership positions with Tulane University, Princeton University, Children's Television Workshop, and the Ford Foundation. Mr. Firstenberg currently lectures at the Baruch College School of Public Affairs.

Visit the Marketplace section of our web site for more information on this and other Foundation Center publications.

Free Shipping in September on National Directory of Corporate Giving

This month, the Foundation Center is offering free shipping on the newly-released 15^th edition of our National Directory of Corporate Giving when you order online.
The updated 15^th edition includes comprehensive profiles of more than 2,800 company-sponsored foundations and over 1,200 corporate giving programs. Each profile contains vital information on giving priorities and funding guidelines, including:

• Program descriptions
• Fields of interest
• Annual giving amounts
• Average size of grants awarded
• Giving limitations
• Key contacts - including officers, donors, and trustees
• Application procedures

The National Directory is also fully indexed by company name, subject, and geographic focus for quick access to funder profiles.

Visit the Marketplace section of our web site for more information on this publication or to view a sample company entry. The National Directory of Corporate Giving is available for just $195 with free shipping online. Order your copy today! >>

SOCAP Recap

If you have been navigating the Social Capital Markets (SOCAP09) waters, then you know social impact assessment and developing metrics has been at the heart of many discussions at this year's conference. Everyone has an interest in this topic: social entrepreneurs, foundations, nonprofit organizations, policymakers, researchers, investors, financial strategists, media--everyone. And for many reasons, social impact assessment is difficult.

There are 2 impact measurement resources the Foundation Center and McKinsey & Company have been exhibiting at the SOCAP conference, respectively:

• Philanthropy IN/Sight: an interactive mapping that enables users to visualize data in ways that reveal patterns and relationships. Essentially it's a mash-up of our Grantmaker data, our Grants data, and Google Maps, which allows users to assess impact, funding needs, and effectiveness with layered demographic and other thematic data.
• Learning for Social Impact: a to-be-launched-later-this-fall web portal is part of McKinsey & Company's Social Sector's Office approach and commitment to sharing insights and innovations that can help advance social change. One of the deliverables included in the Learning for Social Impact portal will be a repository of 150+ social impact assessment tools available to the public for free. To find out when this database, white paper and e-learning handbook will be available, sign up here.

If you want to learn more about how to prove your organizational impact and increase your understanding of outcome thinking and management, then register for our upcoming class,Friday, September 25th.

 

Fall 2009 Seminars at the Foundation Center-San Francisco, Apply for a Scholarship

This fall we are offering nine essential courses to help you get through today's tough fundraising environment. 

In addition, we are now accepting scholarship applications for our full-day training seminars. If you represent a California nonprofit organization with a budget under $1,000,000, you are eligible. Learn more and apply»

September:

Foundation Fundraising: An Introductory Course: September 15, 9 am - 4 pm.
Gain a thorough introduction to the world of foundations and instruction in identifying prospective funders.

Proposal Budgeting Workshop: September 24, 9 am - 4 pm. 
Learn to compose and present budgets for your organization and its programs.

Outcome Thinking & Management: September 25, 9 am - 4 pm.
Shift your organization's focus from project activities to outcomes and results. 

October:

Foundation Funding Research: Strategies for Finding & Evaluating Prospects: October 15 - 16, 1 - 4 pm, Day One, and 9 am - 4pm, Day Two.
Learn to chart your organization's needs and find funders using Foundation Directory Online Professional,the Foundation Center's top-tier online database of grantmakers.

Developing a Fundraising Plan: October 20, 9 am - 4 pm. 
Learn to plan and implement a critical-asset based approach to secure a diverse mix of funding.  

November:

Foundation Fundraising: An Introductory Course: November 5, 9 am - 4 pm.
Gain a thorough introduction to the world of foundations and instruction in identifying prospective funders.

Cultivating Grantmaker Relationships: November 10, 9 am - 4 pm.
Strengthen the partnership between your organization and its funders.

Grantseeker Training Institute: November 16 - 20, 9 am - 4 pm daily.
Update your grantseeking strategy to meet current economic challenges in a single week.

December:

Proposal Writing Seminar: December 3, 9 am - 4 pm.
Gain proposal writing experience needed to secure grants from foundations and corporate sources.

Foundation Funding Research: Strategies for Finding & Evaluating Prospects: December 7 - 8, 1 - 4 pm, Day One, and 9 am - 4pm, Day Two.
Learn to chart your organization's needs and find funders using Foundation Directory Online Professional,the Foundation Center's top-tier online database of grantmakers.

Securing Corporate Partnerships: December 10, 9 am - 4 pm.
Learn the unique characteristics of corporate funders and where to make inroads to gain their support.

Foundation Yearbook 2009 Just Released

The third volume in our Foundations Today Series, Foundation Yearbook: Facts and Figures on Private and Community Foundations (2009), provides data on the number of private and community foundations in the country and on their giving and assets through 2007. Using a survey of 1,225 large and mid-size foundations, as well as year-end fiscal indicators for all grantmaking foundations, the Yearbook also provides estimates of giving by private and community foundations for 2008. Further projections for foundation giving and assets for 2009 are also analyzed in this report.

In 2007, there were more than 75,000 grantmaking foundations, and foundation giving rose 13.8% over the previous year to $44.4 billion. In 2008, giving rose 2.8% to an estimated $45.6 billion, while foundation assets declined an estimated 21.9%. Based on this and other indicators, the Foundation Center projects that giving by foundations will fall by up to 13% in 2009. “The outlook beyond 2009 remains unclear, and much depends on when the economy and stock market begin a consistent recovery. At present, it appears likely that foundation giving will decline further next year” (Foundation Yearbook, highlight, p. 1).

New York and California held the largest share of foundation assets at 16%; while New York private and community foundations provided the largest share of giving overall. In terms of giving by foundation type, in 2007, 73% of all giving was done by independent foundations, which also had 83% of total foundation assets. With 8% of overall assets and only 1% of the total number of foundations in the country, community foundations made 10% of all giving. Representing only 3% of the total number of foundations, company-sponsored foundations also provided 10% of total giving.

See for yourself! Please download the free highlights and order the full report and the complete series from our web site.

Introducing Philanthropy In/Sight

The Foundation Center recently released Philanthropy In/Sight, our new interactive mapping tool for grantmakers, policymakers, researchers, and others interested in seeing the impact of philanthropy in the U.S. and worldwide.

Philanthropy In/Sight provides two unique mapping platforms powered by the Foundation Center's comprehensive databases of the more than 97,000 U.S. grantmakers and records of 1.6 million grants. Users can choose from over 1,100 subject areas and dozens of thematic indicators to assess past funding and current needs in areas such as education, housing, and health care at the global, national, state, or local levels. With these features, Philanthropy In/Sight enables foundations and policymakers to take a more strategic approach to grantmaking.

Philanthropy In/Sight users can:

• Plot the locations of grantmakers and grant recipients by country, state, county, city, metro area, congressional district, or ZIP code
• Find quick information about grantmakers and grant recipients, as well as details about past and recently-awarded grants
• Use layered demographic and thematic data to assess local funding needs and impact
• Explore emerging trends in both domestic and international grantmaking

To learn more, take the guided tour of Philanthropy In/Sight or see these frequently asked questions.

Interested in subscribing to Philanthropy In/Sight? Click here.

Thanks to Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, for sharing this post.

The Foundation Center recently released Philanthropy In/Sight, our new interactive mapping tool for grantmakers, policymakers, researchers, and others interested in seeing the impact of philanthropy in the U.S. and worldwide.

Philanthropy In/Sight provides two unique mapping platforms powered by the Foundation Center's comprehensive databases of the more than 97,000 U.S. grantmakers and records of 1.6 million grants. Users can choose from over 1,100 subject areas and dozens of thematic indicators to assess past funding and current needs in areas such as education, housing, and health care at the global, national, state, or local levels. With these features, Philanthropy In/Sight enables foundations and policymakers to take a more strategic approach to grantmaking.

Philanthropy In/Sight users can:

• Plot the locations of grantmakers and grant recipients by country, state, county, city, metro area, congressional district, or ZIP code
• Find quick information about grantmakers and grant recipients, as well as details about past and recently-awarded grants
• Use layered demographic and thematic data to assess local funding needs and impact
• Explore emerging trends in both domestic and international grantmaking

To learn more, take the guided tour of Philanthropy In/Sight or see these frequently asked questions.

Interested in subscribing to Philanthropy In/Sight? Click here.

Thanks to Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, for sharing this post.

Foundation Center 2008 Annual Report

We invite you to view our 2008 Annual Report [PDF], now available on our web site. Read about how we are reconnecting organizations to the resources that matter, helping you refocus your efforts to weather the economic crisis and inform your decision-making. Active web links throughout direct you to the resources you care most about.