Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

New Foundation Center Map of Cross-border Giving

Our new Map of Cross-border Giving allows grantseekers to access a wealth of information on grants awarded by U.S. foundations to non-U.S. recipients. This interactive database includes detailed descriptions of grants awarded to over 12,000 international organizations totaling more than $8.5 billion. With this new resource, users can:

• Browse grants from U.S. grantmakers to non-U.S. recipient organizations using the interactive world map.
• Filter grants by fiscal year, grantmaker type, primary subject, recipient type, or type of support.
• View descriptions of over 30,000 grants to international organizations with information on the recipient, amount awarded, duration, type of support, description, and subject.
• Access detailed profiles of more than 1,400 funders, including contact information, giving interests and limitations, key financial data, and full copies of IRS returns for past years.
• Copy, print, or save maps for future reference. Data can also be exported as a spreadsheet file for further manipulation.

The Foundation Center's Map of Cross-border Giving is available by monthly or annual subscription. For more details, go to crossborder.foundationcenter.org or visit the Marketplace section of our web site.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Tracking Foundations on Twitter

Recently, Beth Kanter, author of Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media, posted an interesting analysis of foundations' use of Twitter. Using the list of 90 Foundations That Tweet compiled by Kris Putnam-Walkerly of the Philanthropy411 blog, she outlined four main categories of foundation Twitter profiles:

1) Pure Foundation Brand
An extension of the foundation's communications or PR, providing news, grant announcements, research studies, and other information directly related to the foundation's activities and branded with the organization's name, logo, and web site. 

2) Foundation with Personality
An 80%-20% blend of primarily foundation-related content with some level of personal interaction with followers. This account maintains the face of the foundation brand, but is maintained by an individual staff member and therefore shows a more human element.

3) Employee with Foundation Association
Individuals who don’t officially represent the foundation, but who openly state their affiliation with the organization. These are the reverse of profile type #2, with mostly personal information and some foundation-related content. The personal information is still 'professional' in that it mostly relates to philanthropy and the individual's subject expertise. 

4) Pure Personal Account
These profiles contain entirely personal content. While the individual may be employed with the foundation, he or she does not state any organizational affiliation and does not formally represent the foundation.

Tactical Philanthropy's Sean Stannard-Stockton responded to Beth's post by offering his own take on foundations that tweet. While dismissing categories #1 and #4 as being either too restricted or too personal, he states his preference for the second and third categories of Twitter profiles, since these offer a blend of professional material with a personal touch. In his words:

"Profile 2 and 3 types are really interesting. These are either foundation branded Twitter profiles that clearly are authored by a real person writing like a normal human does or individual branded Twitter profiles where the person’s connection to a foundation is clearly noted."

I think the lesson to be drawn here is that in the search for how best to share knowledge, the key thing is to put humans at the center. Knowledge is not some sort of physical element that we can stack in a room somewhere and index easily. Knowledge is a concept that is rooted in the very fact that we are human."

What are the implications for grantseekers?

Foundations' Twitter updates, like annual reports and IRS filings, can be yet another source of information on grantmakers' funding interests and priorities. Foundations may provide updates on current or past grantees, share news on emerging trends or topics within their fields of interest, or even post information on upcoming initiatives.

Joining the conversation on Twitter can also be a subtle and unobtrusive way of putting your organization's programs and activities in front of a funder. Sean's comments above are particularly relevant when it comes to building relationships with funders. Given the individualistic nature of foundations and the importance of personal contact in the nonprofit sector, connecting with foundation staff (the human element) on Twitter may be a crucial new avenue for approaching grantmakers and creating an ongoing dialogue with funders.

Twitter and other social media sites allow for broader connections as well. Networks can be created among funders, nonprofits, government agencies, and other groups according to geography, mission, service population, and many other aspects. This can facilitate collaboration among different types of organizations and help to build communities of practice within the sector.

What are your thoughts? Have you had any experiences communicating with funders through social media sites? Are there any foundations on Twitter that you find to be particularly engaging? Let us know in the comments section below.

For listings of foundations that tweet, see the following posts from the Philanthropy411 blog:

90 Foundations That Tweet

21 Community Foundations That Tweet

20 Funder Networks That Tweet

You can also find links to foundations' Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, MySpace accounts, and other social media profiles in our database of U.S. grantmakers, Foundation Directory Online.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Foundation Center Study Shows Renewed Interest in Social Justice Philanthropy

Social Justice Grantmaking II: An Update on U.S. Foundation Trends provides a current analysis of foundation giving to social justice work and reports on the detailed recommendations given by funders and advocates interested in advancing social justice philanthropy. This follow-up to the Center’s 2005 study, our first exploration of the topic, reports a nearly 31 percent increase in foundation giving to U.S.-based and international social justice activities between 2002 and 2006. The increase surpasses the 20 percent increase in overall foundation giving during the same time period. Foundation giving to social justice totaled $2.3 billion in 2006, representing roughly 12% of all giving by foundations. Economic and community development, health care access, and human rights and civil liberties received the largest share of social justice funding.

The report discusses factors that have influenced the resurgence of interest in social justice grantmaking, including the success of community organizing during the presidential election. "In 2005 many of us wondered about the prospects for social justice philanthropy because the field itself was so pessimistic about its future. Today, social justice is experiencing a resurgence, fueled by philanthropists whose passion won't let them stand by when there is injustice and whose pragmatism demands results," said Bradford Smith, president of the Foundation Center.
You can download the highlights to the report free of charge and purchase a copy from the Gain Knowledge area of 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.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

More Details on the Social Innovation Fund

The Corporation for National and Community Service has recently published answers to frequently asked questions about the forthcoming Social Innovation Fund. This fund, authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, will award grants in the range of $1 to $10 million to existing grantmaking institutions (government agencies, private foundations, etc.) to in turn provide subgrants to nonprofit community organizations to expand or replicate proven initiatives or to develop new initiatives for underserved populations. Although Congress has not yet approved funding for the plan, President Obama has requested that $50 million be appropriated for the Social Innovation Fund for FY 2010.

Besides providing much-needed capacity-building support for community nonprofits, the fund will also work to maximize the impact of government funding by requiring grantmaking institutions to implement evidence-based practices in the funding decision process and to use measurable outcomes to assess the effectiveness of their subgrants. In addition, both grantmaking institutions and nonprofit community organizations that are awarded grants will be required to provide matching funds, such that every $1 in government spending will ultimately result in $3 in funding for programs and services.

For more information on the Social Innovation Fund, read CNCS' Frequently Asked Questions on the Social Innovation Fund or see the following articles and online resources:

What Exactly is the Social Innovation Fund?
&
Why the Social Innovation Fund Matters
Sean Stannard-Stockton - Tactical Philanthropy

Details on the Social Innovation Fund from the Serve America Act
America Forward

White House Seeks $50-Million for 'Social Innovation'
Chronicle of Philanthropy

$50 Million Social Innovation Fund To Target Education, Health, Economy
NonProfit Times

Mrs. Obama Announces New Fund to Aid Nonprofits
New York Times

What Is the Social Innovation Fund?
The White House Blog

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Charitable Donations Exceeded $300 Billion in 2008

The Giving USA Foundation released its annual report on giving – Giving USA – yesterday. Although charitable giving in the US (including giving by individuals, corporations, foundations and bequests)  exceeded $300 billion, these donations were 2% less than 2007. The 2008 figure was the first decline in giving (in current, not inflation adjusted, dollars) since 1987 and only the second since Giving USA began publishing these reports in 1956. But you have to keep things in perspective. If my personal retirement account had dropped only 2% from 2007, I would be overjoyed. $307.65 billion – estimated charitable donations in 2008 – is a lot of money! This is still a very generous country.
 
There are lots of details in the Giving USA Foundation press release. The report will be published in early July and can be pre-ordered now.

Folks in Atlanta were fortunate to be able to hear an in-depth analysis of the data yesterday morning at a program sponsored by Giving USA Foundation and Alexander Haas.  Del Martin, one of the founders of the Alexander Haas consulting firm, is the chair of the Giving USA Foundation.  David King from Alexander Haas made the presentation on the findings; you can download his slide show. The presentation also included highlights from Georgia Gives 2008, a report compiled by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and funded by the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Foundation. 

For more discussion about Giving USA 2009, see:

• Charitable Donations Fell by Nearly 6% in 2008, the Sharpest Drop in 53 Years from the Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Dissecting Giving USA's 2008 Resultsfrom the Chronicle of Philanthropy
• How Much Did Americans Really Give in 2008? from Tactical Philanthropy blog

Looking for similar information about Canadian philanthropy?  Check out Canada Statistics.

Pattie Johnson, Director, Foundation Center – Atlanta

Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund Launches Arts Recovery Initiative

by Josh Phillipson

Arts organizations are continuing to have difficulty making ends meet across our region and the country, and while donors are digging deep to support human services and emergency assistance, the arts are seen as superfluous and not as important. The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta believes arts are absolutely essential to a healthy community, which is why they created the  Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund in the first place back in 1992.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund is a partnership between the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta providing support to small and midsized arts organizations in a 23-county region. Since 1993, the Arts Fund has funded more than $7 million in grants and management consulting awards to 84 arts organizations, creating more than 50 new staff positions in arts groups across the region.

To get more support directly in the hands of the arts community, the Arts Fund has launched the $2.5 million Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative to support small and midsized arts organizations with general operating support, management consulting and loans during the economic crisis. Initial funders include the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, Zeist Foundation and Bank of America. The Arts Fund also announced its first round of 2009 grants in the region.

Expanding on the Arts Fund’s previous program of grantmaking, management consulting and loans to strengthen arts organizations, the Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative will include two grant cycles each year in 2009 and 2010 with each cycle distributing $500,000 in general operating support. Professional consulting projects through the Arts Stabilization Toolbox awards will help organizations implement scenario planning, update strategic plans, build stronger boards and improve financial plans. In addition, the Arts Loan Fund will increase the maximum size of loans from $25,000 to $40,000 and extend the timeframe that organizations have to pay back loans. The Arts Fund is encouraging arts organizations to consider implementation of new program or operating models that help them adapt to the new economic environment.

You can find more information about the initiative in a recent article in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution or at the Arts Fund web site.

Josh Phillipson is a program associate with the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund.

Grants That Make a Difference: World Savvy

June is Funding for Education Month at the Foundation Center, and to celebrate we'll be offering a full slate of special events and programs designed to help grantseekers find education-related funding resources. In the following story, Dana Curran Mortenson at World Savvy describes how a grant and a collaborative relationship with the funder that made the grant have advanced the organization’s mission to educate students about global issues. (For stories about other grants that made a difference, click here and here.)

Grant Recipient
World Savvy
San Francisco, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and New York

World Savvy’s mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs to prepare them to learn, work, and live as responsible citizens in the global community.

Grantmaker
Walter & Elise Haas Fund
San Francisco, California

About the Grant
Two-year, $80,000 grant to support Global Educators Program.

The grant provides comprehensive professional development for middle and high school teachers (grades 6-12) in the Bay Area, building educators' content knowledge, skills, and capacity to consistently integrate contemporary world affairs into their teaching in all subject areas. School partners of the program are provided access to the following services:

1. Professional Development, including one-on-one consulting; provision of relevant global issues curricula resources and materials for classroom use; one-day Global Education Institutes in August 2008 and 2009 and two on-site workshops annually.

2. Online Global Educators Network: A range of online services that provide timely and high-quality global education resources to teachers.

3. Community Connections: Partnerships with individuals, organizations, and associations in the local community and beyond.

Impact of the Grant
The program integrates relevant, current, age-appropriate global issues curricula into the classroom. By leveraging this work to reach more teachers and schools across California and the entire country, World Savvy seeks to promote systemic change in education so as to prepare youth for success and engagement in the global community in the 21st century. An example is World Savvy's Global Youth Media and Arts Festival at Zeum, which featured an exhibition of student’s original artwork on "immigration and identity," including that of students from Phillip & Sala Burton Academic High School (pictured). Through support from the grant by the Haas Fund, teachers from Burton High School received comprehensive professional development and resource support from World Savvy on integrating global issues in their teaching.

How did the funder and grantee work together effectively during the course of the grant project?

The program officer at the Walter & Elise Haas Fund shared knowledge and best practices observed from the field with World Savvy and took a genuine interest in learning about World Savvy's model and approach. The conversations did not revolve exclusively around grant guidelines or geographic areas of service and evaluation tools, but rather the larger issues that the mission and vision of World Savvy sought to remedy. Since the program officer has extensive knowledge and experience in education and reform efforts and is deeply committed to those efforts, the partnership was mutually beneficial in that it offered opportunities for World Savvy to share challenges openly and explore solutions with the Haas Fund during the course of the program's implementation.

What makes this particular grant a good example of the effective use of philanthropic funds?

So often in funder-grantee relationships, the candor in approaching the challenges of difficult work is compromised by a need to demonstrate that the grantee has met strictly defined reporting guidelines and/or to showcase only those aspects of the work that exceeded expectations. It is a missed opportunity for the grantee to learn from the breadth of knowledge of the funder and for the funder to understand the challenges in the field from the grantee’s perspective. The best relationships grow from deep faith in the work and a commitment to institutional learning for both funder and grantee. World Savvy is fortunate to have benefited from such a relationship in this work. Our program officer is in every way an advocate for us and for the work we do.

-----------

Do you have a story about a grant that made a difference? Submit your story, and we'll continue to feature them on a regular basis on PhilanTopic, at one or more of our regional Philanthropy Front and Center blogs, and at other areas of our Web site. We also encourage you to submit stories of grants that are addressing needs associated with the economic crisis.

Grant Recipient
World Savvy
San Francisco, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and New York

World Savvy’s mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs to prepare them to learn, work, and live as responsible citizens in the global community.

Grantmaker
Walter & Elise Haas Fund
San Francisco, California

About the Grant
Two-year, $80,000 grant to support Global Educators Program.

The grant provides comprehensive professional development for middle and high school teachers (grades 6-12) in the Bay Area, building educators' content knowledge, skills, and capacity to consistently integrate contemporary world affairs into their teaching in all subject areas. School partners of the program are provided access to the following services:

1. Professional Development, including one-on-one consulting; provision of relevant global issues curricula resources and materials for classroom use; one-day Global Education Institutes in August 2008 and 2009 and two on-site workshops annually.

2. Online Global Educators Network: A range of online services that provide timely and high-quality global education resources to teachers.

3. Community Connections: Partnerships with individuals, organizations, and associations in the local community and beyond.

Impact of the Grant
The program integrates relevant, current, age-appropriate global issues curricula into the classroom. By leveraging this work to reach more teachers and schools across California and the entire country, World Savvy seeks to promote systemic change in education so as to prepare youth for success and engagement in the global community in the 21st century. An example is World Savvy's Global Youth Media and Arts Festival at Zeum, which featured an exhibition of student’s original artwork on "immigration and identity," including that of students from Phillip & Sala Burton Academic High School (pictured). Through support from the grant by the Haas Fund, teachers from Burton High School received comprehensive professional development and resource support from World Savvy on integrating global issues in their teaching.

How did the funder and grantee work together effectively during the course of the grant project?

The program officer at the Walter & Elise Haas Fund shared knowledge and best practices observed from the field with World Savvy and took a genuine interest in learning about World Savvy's model and approach. The conversations did not revolve exclusively around grant guidelines or geographic areas of service and evaluation tools, but rather the larger issues that the mission and vision of World Savvy sought to remedy. Since the program officer has extensive knowledge and experience in education and reform efforts and is deeply committed to those efforts, the partnership was mutually beneficial in that it offered opportunities for World Savvy to share challenges openly and explore solutions with the Haas Fund during the course of the program's implementation.

What makes this particular grant a good example of the effective use of philanthropic funds?

So often in funder-grantee relationships, the candor in approaching the challenges of difficult work is compromised by a need to demonstrate that the grantee has met strictly defined reporting guidelines and/or to showcase only those aspects of the work that exceeded expectations. It is a missed opportunity for the grantee to learn from the breadth of knowledge of the funder and for the funder to understand the challenges in the field from the grantee’s perspective. The best relationships grow from deep faith in the work and a commitment to institutional learning for both funder and grantee. World Savvy is fortunate to have benefited from such a relationship in this work. Our program officer is in every way an advocate for us and for the work we do.

-----------

Do you have a story about a grant that made a difference? Submit your story, and we'll continue to feature them on a regular basis on PhilanTopic, at one or more of our regional Philanthropy Front and Center blogs, and at other areas of our Web site. We also encourage you to submit stories of grants that are addressing needs associated with the economic crisis.

Grants That Make a Difference: “Ladies Night Out”

Thanks to all who have shared stories that illustrate the impact of specific grants – please keep your stories coming! This story comes from Ingrid Hansen of the Mission Healthcare Foundation in Asheville, North Carolina, which received a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust making it possible for women in the region with little or no health coverage to receive free breast cancer screenings.

Grant Recipient
Mission Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
Asheville, North Carolina

Mission
Mission Healthcare administers all corporate, private, and state/federal grants to the Mission Hospital system. The organization's goal is to improve the quality and the breadth of services offered by Mission in western North Carolina.

Grantmaker
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

About the Grant
$165,748 awarded for 2007-09

The grant was applied toward operating funds for a collaboration that provides breast cancer screenings, education, and treatment for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women in Buncombe County.

About the Program
There are many reasons that low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women don't get regular mammograms: money, transportation, child care, work schedules. While all are understandable, none is acceptable when the issue is breast cancer and early detection can be the difference between life and death.

A community collaboration in Asheville has developed a program called Ladies Night Out to help women overcome whatever obstacles they face in seeking preventive care. The idea for the program began as an innovation of astute healthcare professionals in the region who recognized a gap in coverage between federally and locally funded programs that provide free mammograms to uninsured women. Those professionals realized that by pooling resources and recruiting help from other agencies, they could remove cost as an obstacle to regular screening. As the plan developed, they managed to bridge the funding gap and erase other practical and logistical obstacles to regular screening as well.

Ladies Night Out is a collaboration of the Breast Program at Mission Hospitals, the Buncombe County Health Center, Asheville Imaging Center, the YWCA of Asheville, the Housing Authority of Asheville, and the Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA). ABIPA volunteers handle outreach; the YWCA provides child care and taxi vouchers if transportation is needed; Asheville Imaging sets aside one evening a month to provide mammograms at basic reimbursement rates and, along with the Breast Program, provides the facility; the Health Center nursing staff gives the exams; and volunteers from each of the organizations, along with community volunteers, staff the screening stations.

Through Ladies Night Out events, between 300 and 400 women are screened each year. All women who participate receive a general health exam and health education as well as a breast exam and mammogram. Diagnostic services and follow-up also are coordinated through the program. Ladies Night Out is a festive occasion complete with balloons and flowers, and pink is the color of choice -- a reminder that Ladies Night Out is serious business.

Impact of the Grant
The death rate from breast cancer is higher among underserved women because they are less likely to have it diagnosed during its early, localized stage. From October 2007 through September 2008, a total of 382 program-eligible women received breast cancer screening and health education services through the program. One hundred percent of women with abnormal results have completed follow-up diagnostics. Out of 382 women screened, 15 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and were qualified for treatment.

How did the funder and grantee work together effectively during the course of the grant project?
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust has been receptive and flexible as new program needs emerged. For example, educational materials once provided at no cost by the state of North Carolina were discontinued, and grant funding was therefore reallocated to purchase these materials.

What makes this particular grant a good example of effective use of philanthropic funds?
The program has been a resounding success, and the women are so appreciative. The volunteers from the hospital, participant agencies, and the community have contributed immensely to its success. The flow of the program has been refined over the months so that participants are able to move seamlessly from signing releases to physical exams, mammograms, and sign-ups for re-screening. From the moment the ladies are greeted with a pink carnation to the fruit and veggie snacks offered while waiting for their mammograms, they are treated with dignity and respect. The program exemplifies good community collaboration, use of volunteers, and effective outreach into underserved populations.

Most importantly, it saves lives through the early detection of breast cancer.

----------------

Do you have a story about a grant that made a difference? Submit your story here, and we will continue to feature new stories on a regular basis right here on Philanthropy Front and Center - Atlanta and at other areas of our web site. We also encourage you to submit stories of grants that are addressing needs associated with the current economic crisis.

Grants That Make a Difference: The “Men Read” Program

Several of you have shared stories about grants that have changed lives for the better. The latest, submitted by Jolene Constance, assistant warden at the C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center in Louisiana, focuses on a donation not of dollars but of books -- books that have been an instrument of change and opportunity.

Grant Recipient
C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center (state prison for adult males)
DeQuincy, Louisiana

Grantmakers
National Center for Family Literacy
Louisville, Kentucky
and
Verizon Foundation
Basking Ridge, New Jersey

About the Grant
Donation of 1,000 books
The donated books were given to children visiting their incarcerated fathers during National Family Literacy Day weekend and every other weekend during the month of November. The fathers read the books to their children during visits.

Impact of the Grant
The children of incarcerated parents are the silent victims of crime. They do not see their loved ones as convicted felons but as people they love, miss, and can only see during visits. In many situations they are only able to visit a few times a year due to financial and geographic constraints. When children’s fathers read to them during visits, it facilitates reconciliation and a bonding experience that is rare in a prison setting.
Not only do books bridge social barriers, they bridge literacy barriers as well. To prepare, offenders read the same books in literacy classes that they'll read to their children. The program has helped to remove the stigma associated with lower-level reading among the prison population; reading children's books is now respected because those who do are seen as caring parents. This is a wonderful secondary benefit of the program.

What makes this particular grant a good example of the effective use of philanthropic funds?
It has been proven that children of incarcerated parents are at greater risk of becoming offenders themselves. By breaking that link, we can save a whole generation of young people from becoming adjudicated offenders, reduce the number of crime victims, and save taxpayer dollars now spent to house offenders. Rebuilding relationships between offenders who are being discharged and their families is priceless. If offenders are committed to their families, they are less likely to recidivate and more likely to become productive members of society, which means one less single parent household due to incarceration, one less family seeking financial support from government entities, and one less victim of a senseless crime.
----------------------
Do you have a story about a grant that made a difference? Submit your story, and we will continue to feature them on a regular basis on our blog, on PhilanTopic, and at other areas of our Web site. We also encourage you to submit stories of grants that are addressing needs associated with the current economic crisis.

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta