Publications

Full title: Confronting Systemic Inequity in Education: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy

Published: October 2010

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This report answers the questions:

- How can philanthropy be more effective at deploying its limited resources to help reform and improve our school systems?
- How can philanthropy help break the cycle of persistent inequality in access and opportunities among underserved students in our communities?

Authors Dr. Kevin Welner and Ms. Amy Farley offer concrete strategies based on two recommendations from Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: The deliberate focus on addressing the needs of students from marginalized communities that will, in turn, benefit all students; and the support of efforts to find long-term solutions to the education equity crisis in the U.S through advocacy, organizing and civic engagement.

Full title: Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Northwest Region

Published: September 2010

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The Northwest Region is NCRP's fifth site in a series of reports from the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project. Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Northwest Region looks at how 20 nonprofits and their allies helped improved their communities and amplified the voices of vulnerable residents in the democratic process through advocacy and community organizing efforts. These nonprofits leveraged foundation grants that generated a $150 return for every dollar invested in their policy engagement efforts.

Hard copies also may be purchased for $5 for members ($10 for nonmembers). Delivery of hard copies may take 7-10 full business days.

Note: Report updated 1/11/2011. Revisions made to correct typographical errors on pages 18 and 63.

Full title: Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County

Published: March 2010

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Los Angeles County is NCRP's fourth site in a series of reports from the Grantmaking for Community Impact Project. In "Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County" Lisa Ranghelli and Julia Craig explore how 13 nonprofit organizations and their allies leveraged foundation grants to secure nearly $91 of benefit for every dollar spent for Los Angeles citizens.

Hard copies also may be purchased for $5 for members ($10 for nonmembers). Delivery of hard copies may take 7-10 full business days.

Full title: Seizing the Moment: Frank Advice for Community Organizers Who Want to Raise More Money

Published: November 2009

Aaron Dorfman, NCRP’s executive director, and Marjorie Fine, director of the Center for Community Change’s The Linchpin Campaign, teamed up to offer useful and pragmatic tips that can help community organizers dramatically increase funding from institutional grantmakers and major individual donors.

The combination of tough economic times, unprecedented levels of needs, and growing public awareness of community organizing make this a ripe but challenging time for some serious fundraising. The authors talk about:

- Building relationships
- Making the ask
- Communicating the impact of your work
- Useful resources for fund seekers

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View the press release.

Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Minnesota

Published: September 2009

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"Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Minnesota" by Gita Gulati-Partee and Lisa Ranghelli looks at data from 15 Minnesota nonprofits, which shows high return on investments and non-monetary gains on a range of issues including housing, civil rights, transportation and access to medical care.

Hard copies also may be purchased for $5 for members ($10 for nonmembers). Delivery of hard copies may take 7-10 full business days.

Full title: Learning from Madoff: Lessons for Foundation Boards

Published: June 2009

More than 80 percent of foundations that lost between 30 to 100 percent of their assets to Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme had fewer than five trustees serving on their boards. In Learning from Madoff, NCRP research and policy director Niki Jagpal and research assistant Julia Craig examined whether there was any link between board size and diversity, and exposure to Madoff’s fraudulent activities.

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View the tables "Foundations with Possible Exposure to Madoff of 30% or More"
By Number of Board Members and Percent of Assets Possibly Exposed
By Percent of Assets Possibly Exposed and Number of Board Members

Erratum: The correction below is a change that has been made to the report since its initial release on June 29, 2009. This change is also reflected in the revised edition, which is available for free download online.

NCRP corrects the number and names of trustees of the Maryland-based Adler Foundation. On page 2, NCRP corrects the number of foundations listed under bullet 3 from 38 to 39 and 46 to 45. NCRP also corrects these numbers and trustees listed in the corresponding tables. These changes do not influence our findings. All documents can be found online at www.ncrp.org.

Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in North Carolina

Published: May 2009

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"Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in North Carolina" by Lisa Ranghelli and Julia Craig looks at 2003-2007 data from 13 North Carolina nonprofits, which shows high return on investments and non-monetary gains on a range of issues including poverty, worker rights, education, health care, housing, environment and civil rights.

Hard copies also may be purchased for $5 for members ($10 for nonmembers). Delivery of hard copies may take 7-10 full business days.

The Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact is the first ever set of measurable guidelines that will help foundations and other institutional grantmakers operate ethically and maximize the impact of their dollars. It attempts to answer the questions: What differentiates an exemplary foundation from the rest of its peers? What can foundations do to improve its relevance to nonprofits, the economically and socially underserved Americans and society as a whole?

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Original Price: $25.00 non-members/$12.50 members
New Price: $15.00 non-members/$7.50 members

Additional discounts for members and non-members apply for orders of 5 copies or more. Please contact Kevin Laskowski at klaskowski@ncrp.org or (202) 387-9177 ext. 27.

Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in New Mexico

Published: December 2008

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"Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in New Mexico" by Lisa Ranghelli looks at 2003-2007 data from 14 New Mexico nonprofits, which shows high return on investments and successful policy changes that benefit New Mexicans, such as anti-predatory lending laws, minimum wage increases and homeless trust funds.

Hard copies also may be purchased for $5 for members ($10 for nonmembers). Delivery of hard copies may take 7-10 full business days.

Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialogue From Within

Revised Edition Published: August 2007

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"In Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialogue from Within," Rachael Swierzewski studies the disparity in giving between urban and rural nonprofits, and how geographical isolation and capacity-building needs greatly reduce the ability for rural nonprofits to secure funding. Swierzewski also offers substantive recommendations on ways to make philanthropy more responsive to rural America.

State of Philanthropy 2006: Creating Dialogue for Tomorrow's Movements

Published: July 2006

CRP's third in a series of biennial collections, State of Philanthropy 2006 aims to initiate conversations about creating progressive social change and increasing foundation accountability. It confronts contentious issues faced by today's nonprofit and philanthropic sectors from a variety of perspectives. By addressing new foundation strategies, the impact of federal budget constraints on nonprofits, accountability legislation and regulations, and emerging progressive movements, State of Philanthropy 2006 promotes the strengthening, redirecting and refocusing of foundation and nonprofit efforts to better meet the needs of the disenfranchised. This publication serves as a primer for progressive change during an era dominated by political conservatism.

Original Price: $30.00
New Price: $15.00

A Call to Action: Organizing to Increase the Effectiveness and Impact of Foundation Grantmaking

Published: March 2007

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Many nonprofit organizations are constantly struggling to find enough resources to make their organizations more effective and sustainable. A Call to Action illustrates how the lack of core operating support is at the center of this struggle. It tells of the needs and aspirations of nonprofits by enabling them, in their own words, to share their stories.

The Power of Relationships: Northwest Ohio Community Shares

Published: August 2004

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This report is a history of the creation of Northwest Ohio Community Shares, a coalition of local social justice and social service agencies that came together to create collectively what was denied to them separately, the opportunity to solicit workers for payroll deduction contributions at Toledo workplaces.

Strategic Grantmaking: Foundations and the School Privatization Movement

Published: November 2007

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This report by Rick Cohen asks: What have conservative foundations done with their grant dollards to promote concepts of privatizing public education through "school choice," primarily linked to school vouchers and tax credits? What were their strategies in providing resources to an array of conservative education think tanks, public policy advocates and organizers?

Banking on Philanthropy: Impact of Bank Mergers on Charitable Giving

Published: June 2007

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This NCRP report examines how mergers have reshaped corporate giving practices in the banking industry. It looks at charitable giving of seven banks before and after recent mergers. It answers the questions: Did the levels of giving by these banks increase or decrease after the merger? Which region of the country benefited the most?

Social Justice Philanthropy: The Latest Trend or a Lasting Lens for Grantmaking?

Published: May 2005

A new report that defines and discusses the concept of social justice philanthropy and provides an assessment of its future in philanthropy. Social Justice Philanthropy: The Latest Trend or a Lasting Lens for Grantmaking? explores how grantmakers define and apply the concept of social justice to their work. The report's findings indicate that social justice philanthropy is fraught with many definitional variations, as well as disagreements on how to apply social justice concepts to grantmaking. While many agree that social justice philanthropy is somehow concerned with a more equitable redistribution of economic, political, and social power, there is little consensus on what a more just society would look like, or if philanthropy is capable of fostering these changes.

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Not All Grants Are Created Equal: Why Nonprofits Need General Operating Support from Foundations

Published: September 2005

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Not All Grants Are Created Equal explores the debate on foundations providing project support versus operating support. The report investigates the types of organizations that receive the most general operating support and lays out the case of why nonprofits need general operating support and why foundations are often reluctant to provide it.

The Waltons and Wal-Mart: Self-Interested Philanthropy

Published: September 2005

This new NCRP report reveals more than just charitable intentions in Wal-Mart's seemingly generous, but systematically self-interested philanthropy. The Waltons and Wal-Mart: Self-Interested Philanthropy chronicles the philanthropic and political activities of the Walton family through their family foundation and through their Wal-Mart corporate empire, painting a picture of a family and corporation with increasing financial and political prowess. Profiled are two Walton-affiliated foundations: the Walton Family Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation, with the latter's scattershot giving analyzed in a recent issue of Responsive Philanthropy, NCRP's quarterly.

*Available in PDF only.

Original Price: $25.00
New Price: $10.00

Published: October 2004

State of Philanthropy 2004 is a collection of analyses on the accomplishments and shortcomings of the grantmaking field, with a focus on the social justice arena. The second in a series of publications, the biennial presents diverse perspectives from nonprofit, academic, foundation and advocacy leaders, and discusses how philanthropic institutions can assist the nonprofit sector in securing social and economic justice for the nation.

Original Price: $30.00
New Price: $15.00

Charitable Fundraising in the Workplace: The Roles of Alternative Workplace Funds and Federations in Supporting Nonprofit Change

Published: January 2007

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Progressive workplace funds and federations were created for organizations and issues that lacked adequate access to resources. They served as alternatives to the traditional United Way campaigns, giving workplace donors access to non-United Way affiliate organizations. This report looks at how these alternative funds and federations benefit the nonprofit sector and what kinds of organizations gain from the funding generated by their campaigns.