Trust-Based Blog

Reimagining philanthropy begins with learning out loud.

Packard_NR_FULLRELEASE_USA_228_500.jpeg
 

By sharing ideas, with curiosity and humility, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project blog features trust-based grantmakers who talk about their own lessons, questions, and aha-moments along their power-sharing journeys.

 
Exploring the Principles: Give Multiyear, Unrestricted Funding
Multi-Year Unrestricted Lisa Cowan Multi-Year Unrestricted Lisa Cowan

Exploring the Principles: Give Multiyear, Unrestricted Funding

Lisa Cowan, Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, has a reminder for funders (including herself): “As funders, we must recognize that we are not experts at running the organizations we fund… When i give a grant, I gratefully part with the foundations’ dollars, to make sure that those funds go to someone who knows more than I do.”

Read More
Exploring the Principles: Offer Support Beyond the Check
Support Beyond the Check Lisa Cowan Support Beyond the Check Lisa Cowan

Exploring the Principles: Offer Support Beyond the Check

Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on a two-day funder-grantee retreat aimed at getting to know each other, building trust, and learning about each other’s work. In this blog post, she shares what can come out of such “beyond the check” experiences, and considers what else could be done differently.

Read More
Exploring the Principles: Do the Homework
Do the Homework Philip Li Do the Homework Philip Li

Exploring the Principles: Do the Homework

As one of the six pillars of Trust-Based Philanthropy, “Do the homework” is a reminder that the onus is on foundations to understand nonprofit organizations, and seek to understand how they might fit the foundation’s interests. Phil Li, President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on that responsibility, and opportunity.

Read More