Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC - - The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy released today the winter issue of Responsive Philanthropy. This is the first issue that fully reflects NCRP’s strategic plan and contains four captivating articles that demonstrate the newly articulated goals and values of the organization.

In the issue’s cover story, Pete Manzo, of the Advancement Project and an NCRP board member, explores a shift in focus for a major grantmaker. Manzo interviews Elise Buik, CEO of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, about UWGLA’s new commitment to policy advocacy and the realignment of its grantmaking to fight poverty. She says, “It was a combination of doing the right thing for the right reasons, plus responding to the push for accountability we’ve seen in both the nonprofit and business world.”

In a related article, NCRP executive director Aaron Dorfman argues that funders can get a serious “bang for the buck” by funding community organizing and policy advocacy. Citing examples from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART), Dorfman highlights campaigns that had great social capital benefits plus high returns on investment.

Melissa Johnson, NCRP’s new field director, contributes to this issue with an article assessing standards of philanthropic accountability and how higher standards better serve the public good. Johnson writes, “Donors receive the privilege of tax deduction for charitable donations and tax exemption on investments. Foundations and other philanthropic institutions, therefore, have a responsibility to use their resources for the public good.”

Finally, the issue concludes with an excerpt from Heidi Waleson’s recent report Beyond Five Percent: the New Foundation Payout Menu. Sponsored by Northern California Grantmakers and the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers, the report provides profiles of foundations that have chosen to make grants at rates higher than the government-mandated five percent of assets. The excerpt is accompanied by a quote from Diane Feeney, President of the French American Charitable Trust and vice chair of NCRP’s Board of Directors.

Free to NCRP members, Responsive Philanthropy is also available to non-members for $25 annually. To subscribe, please visit www.ncrp.org. For a complimentary media copy, contact Meredith