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Donor relationships
Donors and grantees: where do the boundaries lie?
The recent issue of Alliance looking at philanthropy and power raised some very interesting points about the relationship between charities and their funders. In his editorial on ‘The power of money’, Stephen Pittam mentioned that …
Just published: Alliance September 2013 issue with special feature on ‘Philanthropy and power’
‘It is difficult to keep your feet on the ground when working in a foundation because you are inevitably placed in a position of power,’ writes Stephen Pittam, former secretary of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable …
More sophisticated, knowledgeable and strategic philanthropists: a challenge for charities?
At ‘The World of Philanthropy and Why Rich People Give in 2013’ at Cass Business School in May 2013, Theresa Lloyd and Caroline Underwood shared their impressive experience as fundraisers, donors and advisors to philanthropists. The event brought …
Is it possible to shift philanthropy practice from the middle?
Last month I attended the International Human Rights Funders Group conference in San Francisco, which began with a day-long institute on cultural competency in grantmaking titled ‘What’s Power Got To Do With It?’. The training …
The heartbreaker of philanthropy: donor-grantee relationships
It is a story that repeats itself again and again in philanthropy: Donor meets grantee. They talk about their work and interests. They enjoy exchanging ideas. The grantee starts to write long letters to the …
The elephant in philanthropy’s room
Caroline Hartnell’s post of 14 October, Do we really want to entrust our futures to a growing group of benevolent dictators? Just asking… struck a real chord for me, particularly given the context of what’s …
The strange case of how it’s spent vs. what it achieves
I’ve read a lot of annual reports in my time at New Philanthropy Capital (NPC). Big charities, small charities and the ones in between. And one thing always leaps out at me – charities are …
Technology and learning: opportunities for advisers
The transformative effect of technology on philanthropy is a frequent topic of conversation in journals and at conferences. These discussions often cover how technological innovation is changing the practice of philanthropy and the relationships between …
(Still) learning to communicate with grantees
Recently, I was invited by our local association of grantmakers to speak with a group of fundraising professionals about how to build strong relationships with donors. The intention was to engage in a discussion about …
