Nonprofits: A Mission of Service

whitePaper | March 25, 2020

In their seminal article, "Nonprofit Starvation Cycle", Ann Goggins Gregory and Dan Howard exhort nonprofit finance professionals to report to funders the real costs of running nonprofit organizations. The authors explain that the popular trend to restrict funding to specific programs without accounting for infrastructure expenses leads to an unintended consequence, a "nonprofit starvation cycle", where charities cease to function because they can't pay for overhead costs, such as administrative employees, computers and electric bills. To break this unhealthy cycle, the article encourages nonprofits to recalibrate funder expectations by providing accurate financial reports and other supporting information to reflect the true costs of nonprofit operations.

whitePaper | January 17, 2020

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is a nonprofit organization that currently advises on and manages more than $200 million in annual giving by individuals, families, corporations, and major foundations. Continuing the Rockefeller family’s legacy of thoughtful, effective philanthropy, RPA remains at the forefront of philanthropic growth and innovation, with a diverse team led by experienced grantmakers with significant depth of knowledge across the spectrum of issue areas. Founded in 2002, RPA has grown into one of the world’s largest philanthropic service organizations and, as a whole, has facilitated more than $3 billion in grantmaking to nearly 70 countries. For more information, please visit www.rockpa.org.

whitePaper | January 6, 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing our world on a daily basis. The world of medicine is being industrialized by artificial intelligence, the data you thought you owned is being used to manipulate elections, and everyone is connected, everywhere. Much research has been done on the State of Artificial Intelligence in the world, but less research has been completed in the nonprofit sector. The SAINS report will add to the body of nonprofit literature and accelerate artificial intelligence advancements for nonprofits.

whitePaper | January 20, 2021

This past year was challenging yet transformational for the nonprofit sector. With organizations facing a sudden shift to remote operations, our country experiencing a nationwide reckoning on racial equity, and a drastically changing fundraising landscape, nonprofits were forced to reexamine the operations and traits needed to carry them into the future.

whitePaper | May 5, 2022

There is no doubt you have noticed the evolution of accelerated technology over the last two years. With that evolution, technology has morphed into every single field of work. With new work models, technology and innovation are essential for every organization to grow and thrive. The benefits of technology are endless, including social connectivity, streamlined communication, and remote collaboration.

whitePaper | January 14, 2020

Nonprofit organizations operate in a complex and evolving financial world. As one of the world’s largest investment managers, Vanguard has helped thousands of nonprofit organizations navigate their unique investing, organizational, and governance challenges. We recognize nonprofits differ by size, served market, and sophistication. The chief financial officer of a hospital will likely have different needs from the CFO at a college, while the executive director of a small public charity will have different needs from either