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Effective Philanthropy: Towards a Research Agenda

The impact of charitable gifts doesn’t correlate to their size. This is because, on one hand, charities vary dramatically in what they achieve with a given amount of resource, and, on the other, some ways of giving are better than others. This is evident from many observations, including that whereas some programmes are highly effective. others make no difference at all. When donors divide their funds into many grants of $10,000 rather than fewer of $100,000, the costs incurred by non-profits in raising funds increases nearly six. Charities say that they would rather have $70 with no ‘restrictions’ on how they can use it than have $100 with restrictions. In other words, these restrictions destroy about half the value. Funding from some donors creates so much work for recipient non-profits that it’s not worth having at all. Sometimes the work created by the donor consumes most of the grant, sometimes all of it, and occasionally consumes more than the grant is worth, leaving the recipient organisation with a net loss.

Spotlight

International Fundraising Consultancy

IFC is an award-winning consultancy specialising in fundraising, management, marketing and communications. A UK-based company, it has offices in 12 countries across 4 continents and an international reputation for excellence, gained over the past 17 years. IFC works with a wide range of clients on a local, national and international level, from small charities to global NGOs. IFC continues to demonstrate its commitment to the sector through both its world class professional consultancy advice, and its free services, such as its regular First Friday fundraising advice clinics, its Top Table events for fundraising directors and the wikifund.info website. They believe that not for profit organisations can and do have a huge and lasting positive impact on life at the local, national and international level. IFC’s central mission is to strengthen and support these civil society actors, to allow them to be the agents for change that they aspire to be.

OTHER WHITEPAPERS

2020 Nonprofit Forecast: Eight Predictions for the Decade Ahead

whitePaper | February 11, 2020

It’s the turn of a new decade, and several social, technological, economic and political forces promise to shape the future of the nonprofit sector. Some are already in play – or have been for some time – and are already challenging nonprofit organizations. They have the potential to fundamentally transform the sector. I’ve outlined eight predictions here; a convergence of these factors will alter the landscape, necessitating a major shift in the way nonprofit organizations operate.

8 Traits of Successful Grant Writers

whitePaper | January 16, 2020

Grant writing success comes with experience. Done well, it can change the landscape of your nonprofit and the lives of your clients. Adding grants to your fundraising strategy can be daunting, but by emulating these traits of experienced and successful grant writers, you can increase your likelihood of success when submitting requests.

Charity sector developments

whitePaper | April 1, 2022

This year there are increasing macroeconomic headwinds on the horizonaltogether. As we continue to operate in an uncertain environment this will undoubtedly increase the importance of the work of charities in our society. In this publication, we consider these headwinds, and the sector risks they present as well as the opportunities and practical considerations for charities. A particular focus will be on climate change and how charities can develop their response in this area. We also review wider developments in the charity world, including in relation to specific risks and external audit, as well as in the areas of tax and VAT.

What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Software Subscription Fees

whitePaper | April 16, 2020

Online fundraising has revolutionized the giving landscape and created exciting new opportunities for nonprofits. Instead of direct mail and telephone fundraising, nonprofits are turning to advanced fundraising software that allows them to gain valuable insights about their supporters, streamline their fundraising campaigns, and massively expand their reach.

VALUES-ALIGNED PHILANTHROPY: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

whitePaper | August 8, 2021

Recent years have seen a rise in anti-democratic extremism, hate speech and violence in the U.S. As concern about these problems has grown, the search for solutions has led to questions about how hate groups are funded. Many in the philanthropic sector have echoed these concerns, and have taken steps to prevent the funding of hate and extremism, while others are interested in doing so. Values-Aligned Philanthropy is a Council on Foundations project that digs into the issue of funding hate and extremism, documenting the problem and the response of the sector to date. This first phase report was created to support foundations concerned about this issue.

Supporting Grantee Capacity

whitePaper | July 5, 2022

In supporting Grantee Capacity: Strengthening effictiveness together, we look at how funders approach building capacity with grantees. through example from foundation ranging in size, mission, and geography, we explore various strategies for capacity building and the type of awareness that funders can choose to incorporate in decision making to faciliate informed, thoughtful judgements about strengthening organization.

Effective Philanthropy: Towards a Research Agenda