Great New Book on Social Justice Philanthropy
posted on: Friday, September 11, 2009
By Aaron Dorfman
NCRP Board member Marjorie Fine just released a fantastic new book: Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice. Alicia Epstein Korten is the author, and Margie, in her role as director of the Linchpin Campaign at the Center for Community Change, was the project director.
I reviewed an early draft of the book, and just got a chance to look through the finished product. The great thing about Change Philanthropy is that it tells stories; it doesn’t make an argument with statistics. The stories – case studies, really – bring to life the real challenges and exhilarations of grantmaking that seeks to address critical social issues of our day. Program staff and trustees of foundations will find new insights for their own work, and nonprofit leaders and fundraisers will get a rare and candid look inside the inner workings of grantmaking institutions.
The ten grantmakers featured in the book range from very small to very large and include independent foundations, family foundations and grantmaking public charities. They are:
- Discount Foundation
- Schott Foundation
- Needmor Fund
- Jacobs Family Foundation
- Ford Foundation
- Open Society Institute
- Liberty Hill Foundation
- Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
- Global Fund for Women
- Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health
So if you’re looking for a good book on social justice philanthropy this fall, pick up a copy. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million. (And, no, I don’t get any royalties for making this pitch!)
Are there other books on social justice philanthropy you’d recommend? Please share in your comments!
Aaron Dorfman is executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).
Labels: Center for Community Change, Change Philanthropy, Linchpin Campaign, Philanthropy's role in society, social justice, Social justice philanthropy
NCRP Board member Marjorie Fine just released a fantastic new book: Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice. Alicia Epstein Korten is the author, and Margie, in her role as director of the Linchpin Campaign at the Center for Community Change, was the project director.
I reviewed an early draft of the book, and just got a chance to look through the finished product. The great thing about Change Philanthropy is that it tells stories; it doesn’t make an argument with statistics. The stories – case studies, really – bring to life the real challenges and exhilarations of grantmaking that seeks to address critical social issues of our day. Program staff and trustees of foundations will find new insights for their own work, and nonprofit leaders and fundraisers will get a rare and candid look inside the inner workings of grantmaking institutions.
The ten grantmakers featured in the book range from very small to very large and include independent foundations, family foundations and grantmaking public charities. They are:
- Discount Foundation
- Schott Foundation
- Needmor Fund
- Jacobs Family Foundation
- Ford Foundation
- Open Society Institute
- Liberty Hill Foundation
- Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
- Global Fund for Women
- Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health
Are there other books on social justice philanthropy you’d recommend? Please share in your comments!
Aaron Dorfman is executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).
Labels: Center for Community Change, Change Philanthropy, Linchpin Campaign, Philanthropy's role in society, social justice, Social justice philanthropy
posted by NCRP at
10:20 AM
2 Comments:
Thank you Aaron for this timely review! Margie and I worked to make this book one that looks at not just the successes but also the struggles involved in high impact grantmaking.
A few of the lessons I learned regarding how to develop high impact giving strategies include
a) develop a theory of change;
b) match your goals to your resources;
c) invest in getting to know potential grantees to ensure you're betting on the right organizations and leaders;
d) Amplify grantee voices through supporting communications strategies, member mobilization, and helping influential people understand their work; and
e) evaluate your work, and be sure that benchmarks for measuring progress include process oriented results such as growth of an organization.
Alicia Korten, CEO, ReNual
Author of Change Philanthropy
change@renual.com/www.renual.com
By
Alicia Korten, at 2:58 PM
This looks like a terrific resource, I look forward to reading the book. One of our clients, the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest just shared it with me. I'm sure it will be helpful to many funders interested in supporting social change.
--Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President,
Putnam Community Investment Consulting
By
Kris Putnam-Walkerly, at 9:10 AM
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