Learning in a time of crisis:
7 tips to help foundations focus
on learning and evaluation
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many foundations find themselves forced to make decisions in new ways regarding how they operate, what they support, and how they make sense of what’s happening. Board members who may be used to meeting quarterly may now find themselves called on to make important decisions more quickly. Staff who may have a variety of activities and sources of information to help inform their work over time may now find themselves having more conversations with grantees, applicants, and staff at other foundations as they try to connect and learn about different issues. This Learning Series Tool provides an overview of seven tips for foundation staff to understand, adopt, and
make use of a learning mindset.
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Upcoming webinars - June 23-24 – Racial Equity & Justice In Philanthropy Funders’ Summit.
Register here
- July 8, 2 - 3PM – Embracing Opportunities To Work With Non-Qualified Donees. Register here
- July 22, 2PM – #PFCwebinar Wednesday – COVID-19, Climate Change & Environmental Considerations. Register here
- July 24, 1 - 3PM(EDT) – Funders are changing their approaches in response to COVID-19. What’s going to stick? Register here
Missed our past COVID-19 related webinars? You can find them here
Share other webinar themes you’d like us to cover in light of COVID-19 on Twitter @PhilanthropyCDA
Philanthropy and Racial Inequality
An Open Letter to Community Foundations
Community Foundations of Canada has written an open letter acknowledging the amount of work to be done to dismantle systemic and institutional racism in Canadian philanthropy. Andrew Chunilall, CEO of CFC, writes: “The challenge of systemic racism is not one we will tackle through grants. It’s one that requires us to take a look in the mirror (figuratively and literally – we might notice something), to look inward, and to ask ourselves some tough questions”.
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Black Foundation Executives Request Action by Philanthropy on Anti-Black Racism
Philanthropy has a critical role to play and must step forward to ensure the well-being of Black communities. In addition, a more robust partnership moving forward between philanthropy, government, businesses and Black communities is needed to address immediate needs and opportunities (targeted COVID-19 relief and police reform); as well as the longer-term strategies to address racial inequity.
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Podcast: How Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy
This episode of the Business of Giving podcast features Rob Reich, co-director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, a research center at Stanford University that seeks ways to improve philanthropy. He speaks with podcast host, Denver Frederick, about how philanthropy is failing democracy, its difficult relationship with justice and equality and what this crisis has made philanthropy realize.
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The Problem with “Color-Blind” Philanthropy
For too long, philanthropists have taken a “color-blind” approach to grantmaking. Even when grounded in a well-meaning attempt at equity, ignoring the implications of race on the work they fund has only served to disadvantage people of color. This article discusses why and how racial equity needs to become a deliberate part of philanthropic design.
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The Movement for Black Lives Calls On Philanthropy to Provide $50 Million
Following nationwide protests to condemn police brutality against Black people, a key grassroots organization this week has shifted its attention to philanthropy, with a goal of raising $50 million this year. The Movement for Black Lives urged grant makers and wealthy donors to provide millions of dollars to support advocacy efforts aimed at reallocating money from police departments to education, health care, and housing.
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Université Laval and Institut Mallet Unite to Form New Interdisciplinary Group
Université Laval and the Mallet Institute are pleased to announce the signing of a new partnership agreement that extends an already ten-year collaboration through the creation, as of September 2020, of an interdisciplinary group on social commitment, altruism and philanthropic culture: the Groupe Institut Mallet-Université Laval.
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The Strengths And Weaknesses of Greater Montreal Highlighted
The Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM) outlined the history of the city's evolution over the past two decades in its latest Greater Montreal's Vital Signs report, using the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) matrix. It is the consequences of this history that are abruptly brought to light by the crisis we have been experiencing for the past three months, a crisis that is causing much distress throughout the community and to which we must seek new solutions.
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Share with us how your organization is responding to COVID-19 on Twitter @PhilanthropyCDA
Showcasing Philanthropic Response
Black Solidarity Fund
Like many many places in the world, Canada has a painful history of racism, discrimination, and unequal access for Indigenous People and People of Colour that continues to this day. Standing with the Black community, CanadaHelps has set up the Black Solidarity Fund. It is an opportunity to stand up against intolerance, prejudice, and injustice, and support charities across Canada focused on the advancement of Black Canadians. Plus, until July 31st, 2020 every dollar donated to the Black Solidarity Fund will be matched by P&G Canada up to $1 million!
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Indigenous People’s Resilience Fund
For Indigenous communities and Indigenous-led organizations working to respond to COVID-19 in the context of pre-existing economic and health disparities, the impacts are even more pronounced. In response to this disparity, the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (IPRF) is an Indigenous-led effort to tackle urgent community needs while taking a long-term view on building community resilience.
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Global Philanthropic Response
UNDP Launches Standards For Bond Issuers And Private Equity Funds Seeking SDG Impact
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released for consultation a Standards to guide private equity fund managers and bond issuers in directing activities toward achieving the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These Standards are the latest contribution of market-focused tools from SDG Impact, a flagship initiative of UNDP’s Finance Sector Hub, focused on accelerating investment to achieve the SDGs.
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Will Philanthropy's Flexible Funding Outlast The Pandemic?
The presidents of five leading U.S. foundations plan to increase rather than decrease their spending during the period of economic hardship brought on by COVID-19. The foundations were motivated by concerns over the impact that the pandemic has had on their grantees and the people they serve, said Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, who spearheaded the effort.
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After Covid-19: Using Philanthropy To Build Back Better World
In a report released last month, the World Bank noted that contractions in Asian economies would eviscerate Asia’s small and medium sized enterprises thus exacerbating poverty even further. As philanthropists in Asia think ahead, and plan to deploy their philanthropy beyond addressing the immediate needs created by COVID-19, there are critical considerations.
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Don’t Look Behind That Curtain: Bond Financing and Philanthropy
When public officials started to shut down the economy in March, it did not take long to realize this would result in an extraordinary crisis that would require an extraordinary response. Some foundations, most notably the Ford Foundation, have begun to issue bonds in order to increase their payout rate. However, this practice raises some questions.
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