Related Resources >> Intelligent Funding

The Art of Living
John Knell wrote this with us at the end of our last phase of work ad it forms the basis of the work we are doing with funders right now.

The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle
This recent article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review describes the vicious cycle that is leaving nonprofits so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations—let alone serve their beneficiaries. The cycle starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations about how much running a nonprofit costs, and results in nonprofits’ misrepresenting their costs while skimping on vital systems—acts that feed funders’ skewed beliefs. To break the nonprofit starvation cycle, funders must take the lead.

Funding our Future
David Carrington’s think piece for the NCVO’s Funding Commission is very relevant to the funding challenges facing the UK’s arts and cultural sector too. Read his ideas about how we need to transform the ‘behaviour’ of the funders as well as the funded; ensure the focus of funding is more evenly balanced between addressing revenue income needs and the strengthening of balance sheets and, even at a time of uncertainty, how important it is to innovate and explore new ways of bringing resources into the sector.

James Irvine Foundation rewards the innovators
Read about the James Irvine Foundation’s latest round of Arts Innovation Fund grants. This foundation, one of California’s largest philanthropies, is helping arts organisations tackle the dramatic effect of changing demographics, technology and audience expectations head on.

A snapshot of how trusts and foundations are responding to the economic downturn in 2009
According to this very recent Charity Commission research, trusts and foundations interviewed were clear that the current economic downturn is requiring a different response from them. In common with many other funders, they are increasing their oversight of how effectively their money is used by recipients and they also appear to be more alert to the risks involved, with the vast majority of those interviewed telling us they now undertake closer scrutiny of the financial viability of organisations applying for funds. There are some interesting findings on the potential benefits of the downturn too.

One Foundation’s Brave Act of Leadership
This month (September 2009) the Boston Foundation unveiled major changes in its grantmaking strategy and announced that “the most dramatic change is a shift of emphasis to unrestricted operating support.” Don Palotta writes: “This is the nonprofit sector equivalent of the fall of the Berlin Wall….it is an important voice making a declaration that real change will come from strengthening the capacity of good organizations; that as good as it may feel to fund programs, the greatest good can be achieved by funding organizations.”