For Foundations

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Reports, Books and Studies

Tools and Websites

Foundation Management Resources

Reports, Books and Studies

Foundation Response to the Recession
Strengthening Diversity and Inclusiveness
A Year of Living Generously: Dispatches From the Front Lines of Philanthropy - The "radical sabbatical."
Not Your Father's Foundation: Giving More With Less
Tips for a Successful Family Foundation
Raising Future Philanthropists
Growing Tradition? Examining the African American Family Foundation
Millennial Donors
Shared Services: A Guide to Creating Collaborative Solutions for Nonprofits
The Butterfly Effect: How Small Grants Count
Lessons from the Grassroots: A Field Guide for Funders (PDF)
Smarter Outsourcing for Grantmakers
Communicating for Impact: Strategies for Grantmakers
Online Communication Strategy
Financing Faith: Religion and Strategic Philanthropy
Private Foundations and the Religious Sector
Helping Foundations Align Investments and Mission
Smaller Nonprofit Endowments Outperformed Larger Ones in 2009
New Report on Impact on Nonprofits of State Budget Crises
Key Findings from the Grantee Perception Report
Working With Grantees: The Keys to Success and Five Program Officers Who Exemplify Them
Inspire Grant: An Uncommon Approach to Grantmaking (PDF)
National Center on Family Philanthropy Releases National Survey Results & Assessment Tool.
Updated Demographic Profiles of U.S. Hispanics by Country of Origin
The State of Metropolitan America
America's Future: Latino Child Well-Being in Numbers and Trends, National Council of La Raza
Learning for Social Impact
Maximizing Impact: An Integrated Strategy for Grantmaking and Mission Investing in Climate Change
Community-based Philanthropy and the Knight Foundation Information Challenge
A Guide to Actionable Measurement
Seeking Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: A King County Case Study
Essentials of Foundation Strategy: Report by Center for Effective Philanthropy that identifies defining elements of strategic foundation leaders; characteristics of their plans, communications, grantmaking, and assessments; need to back strategic plans with logic models; and challenges. (December 2009)
Philanthropic Studies Index
Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector: Report by La Piana Consulting (November 2009)
Current Practices in Family Foundations: The first-ever random survey of family foundation practices from The National Center for Family Philanthropy. (September 2009)
Piper Charitable Trust has just released The Growth of Valley Philanthropy Over the Past 10 Years, a report on growth of metro-Phoenix. (September 2009)
Nonprofit CEO Compensation Study: By Charity Navigator (August 2009)
Smarter Grantmaking in Challenging Economic Times: A report from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations offers recommendations and examples to help foundation leaders as they look ahead to make tough decisions in 2010. (2009)
Foundations and Public Policy: The newest book from the Foundation Center addresses how foundations can engage in local public policy discussion. (March 2009)
Grants Management Software reports by Solpath
Risk, Return and Social Impact: Demystifying the Law of Mission Investing by U.S. Foundations (November 2008)
Measuring and/or Estimating Social Value Creation: Insights into Eight Integrated Cost Approaches: This report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation describes and analyzes eight approaches to integrating cost in measuring and/or estimating social value creation. (December 2008)
Arizona Giving Reports: Reports compiled by Arizona Grantmakers Forum giving an overview of philanthropy in Arizona. AGF resource
Advancing Good Governance: How Grantmakers Invest in the Governance of Nonprofit Organizations: Explores how funders can help nonprofits strengthen their boards and governance to enhance performance and outcomes. (March 2009)
General Operating Support Vol. 2: Assessing the impact (pdf): Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (2007) AGF resource
The Balancing Act: The Role of a Community Foundation as a Community Leader: Outlines the evolution of community foundations' leadership roles, why and when they should take on such a role, and how to direct human resources, funding, or other resources to the effort without jeopardizing the ability to respond to changing needs. (October 2008)
Limited Life Foundations: Motivations, Experiences, and Strategies: By Urban Institute: Compares characteristics of perpetual foundations and limited life foundations, set to be terminated at a specified time. Explores both personal and strategic reasons for "sunsetting" and positive and negative effects of limited life on the foundation. (February 2009)

Tools and Websites

Evaluating Online Grant Application Vendors
In Philanthropy Central blog, Peter Frumkin explores the notion of "philanthropic success."
Shared Measurement Tools
Glass Pockets: Accountability and Transparency
Blueprint 2010
Nonprofit Mapping
Shared Measurement Tools - Real World Experience
Caring to Change
And Justice for All: The 2007 Advocacy Conference presented by The Wallace Foundation.
The Center for What Works - a nonprofit dedicated to building performance measurement capacity and developing a common language for the social sector to benchmark results, learn and improve.
Glass Pockets is a joint venture of Foundation Center and several partner organizations designed to increase transparency in the philanthropic sector and to encourage greater sharing of successes and failures.
Funders Together to End Homelessness is the national affinity group for foundations and corporations supporting strategic and effective grantmaking to end homelessness.
AGF Economic Crisis Resources and Information AGF resource
Family Foundation Assessment Process: Pursuit of Excellence, the first ever assessment designed specifically for family foundations offered by the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). (April 2009)
Smart Givers Network: Resources for Smart Giving
Philanthropy In/Sight: Allows registered users to create customized Google maps to explore giving patterns, emerging trends, and funding relationships globally, nationally, or at the community level. Free trial currently available to AGF members.
Nonprofit Law Resource Library: By Hurwit & Associates
PubHub: A source for foundation-sponsored reports. Search the online catalog of annotated links to 4,403 research reports, case studies, issue briefs, literature reviews, and annual reports published or funded by U.S. Foundations.
Family Funders Network: A website that is a robust portal for family funders to explore issues facing vulnerable children and families.
Section on GuideStar website just for donors (April 2009)
Advocacy Progress Planner: A free online resource for putting together advocacy and policy efforts.
IssueLab: Offers services and products to foundations that increase the visibility and distribution of nonprofit research.
Technology Tools for Philanthropic Foundations: This site is designed as a simple and quick introduction for grantmakers interested in using new technologies (and some older ones, too) in creative ways.
A Brief Guide to the Law of Mission Investing for U.S. Foundations (November 2008)
CommA"Communication Professionals for Community Foundations."
General Philanthropic Resources: Websites that provide assistance in managing foundations and general foundation resources. AGF resource
Rural Philanthropy Knowledge Center: Practical information on how to start and manage a rural fund, and other useful resources on how to grow philanthropy in rural areas.
Tips for a Wise Grantmaker: Thirteen tips on how to make your grantmaking as effective as possible. AGF resource
Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: An organization dedicated to strengthening the next generation of grantmakers, in order to advance effective social justice philanthropy.
A Goodman Online: a goodman is a communications consulting firm that helps public interest groups, foundations,and progressive businesses reach more people more effectively.

Foundation Management Resources

AGF's Small and Family Foundation Roundtable AGF resource
Grantcraft Guide - The Effective Exit: A guide on how to use the end of a funding relationship to boost a grantee’s capacity, find new sources of support, and even multiply the value of the foundation’s investment.
Consumer's Guide to Grants Management Software Report: This 89-page report provides a rundown of common features and overviews of eighteen systems, as well as detailed reviews, prices, and a comparison chart of nine of the software packages most widely used by grantmakers. (May 2008)
Developing a Grantmaker Travel Policy: Tips for creating a transparent and effective travel policy for your organization. (2007) AGF resource