| For Immediate Release 7/21/2003 |
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| NCRP LAUNCHES DRIVE FOR FOUNDATIONS TO STEP UP CORE OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NONPROFITS TO AS MUCH AS 50 PERCENT OF GRANT DOLLARS | |||
| Philanthropy Watchdog Reports on Its First Convening of Nonprofit Leaders Addressing Need for Unrestricted, General Funding to Sustain America's Charities for the Long Term | |||
| WASHINGTON - The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) today released a report from its convening of nonprofit leaders who gathered here last month to discuss the need for increased foundation spending on grants to fund the core operating expenses of America's nonprofits. In conjunction with the release, the philanthropy watchdog group also announced plans to begin a campaign to encourage foundations to shift their grantmaking to eventually devote as much as 50 percent of their grant dollars toward nonprofit core operating support. The report on the convening - titled The Core of the Matter - is available from NCRP online at www.ncrp.org or by calling the organization at (202) 387-9177. "To square their funding patterns with their often-expressed commitment to nonprofit capacity building, foundations should consider significantly increasing their financial support of core operating expenses for their grantees," said NCRP Executive Director Rick Cohen. "Time and again, we hear this from all manner of nonprofits and we feel it is time to do something about it. We want foundations to invest in the long-term sustainability of nonprofits by making a deeper commitment to providing flexible core operating support grants rather than the predominant practice of foundations ‘buying into' narrowly focused, inflexible project-specific grants. We hope to encourage a change in this basic foundation grantmaking practice." NCRP convened nearly 50 participants at the June 4 gathering, which was held at the Public Welfare Foundation. The event drew a diverse collection of nonprofits, including national civil rights organizations, community-based organizations, state nonprofit associations, grantmaker affinity groups and local direct service providers. Participants broadly agreed on the need for more funding for operating support, which constituted only 11 percent of grant dollars from the top 100 foundations in 2001. NCRP is planning future convenings and research on the subject, and is welcoming participation from nonprofits and foundations alike. "To improve the effectiveness of foundations and their grantees, foundations can and should do more to fund their nonprofit grantees in dire need of core operating support to sustain themselves and serve the public," noted Cohen. "Some philanthropic leaders have recently been trumpeting the importance of foundations' own operating expenses; perhaps this presents an opportunity to help foundations better understand the importance of their grantees' operating needs." Founded in 1976, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy is dedicated to helping the philanthropic community advance the traditional values of social and economic justice for all Americans. Committed to helping funders more effectively serve the most disadvantaged Americans, NCRP is a national watchdog, research and advocacy organization that promotes public accountability and accessibility among foundations, corporate grantmakers, individual donors and workplace giving programs. For more information on NCRP or to join, please visit www.ncrp.org or call (202) 387-9177. ### |
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