Resources

Hello GEO Community, We are seeking some sense for how common it is for executive directors to also be board members – in particular at Family Foundations? If anyone would be up for sharing their experience with this and any feedback, that would be super. Thank you!

Would anyone be able to share with me their Supplier/Vendor Diversity Policy? I am looking for both foundation and nonprofit examples.

Colleagues - I am writing a brief on different models of foundation funding for policy advocacy, on any topic. I'm reaching out with a couple of questions/invitations. I know of many models (and Alliance for Justice resources), but if anyone is particularly proud of your model of funding policy advocacy, I'd love to try to include it (especially use of the specific project grant rule). Second, would anyone be interested in reviewing the draft (about 3000 words) and giving me feedback? Thanks!

I’m interested in hearing from peers how you utilize your Grants Management System (GMS) to support evaluation and learning work. Our current system at the National Endowment for Democracy is configured more for the grant and compliance side of our grantmaking and all of our evaluation and learning work is happening in “shadow” systems. We’re working with a consulting firm that’s taking us through a process, so my questions are more about how your GMS fits into your evaluation and learning work and what you like/don’t like about your current set-up. This is probably better suited to a conversation rather than an email, so please respond if you’re willing to speak with me and we can connect. Thank you in advance,

In our application process, The Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) asks applicants to describe their dissemination plan, i.e., how they will disseminate/share their findings, lessons learned, tools, and products. We typically get very general responses such as they plan to present at conferences, submit to peer review journals, put information on their website, etc. We would like to provide better direction for our applicants to encourage them to think more creatively about developing a robust, proactive dissemination plan, with specific target audiences and strategies. Do you have any language in your grant application, tips on your website that define dissemination, or do you provide any guidance or tools that help applicants develop and describe their dissemination plan that you can share with RRF?

Have you made improvements to your grantmaking, including the idea cultivation/grantee relationship management, application process, approval process, reporting requirements, or other elements you've deemed important, and are you willing to share them with us? Did you work with any consultants on the above whom you'd recommend?

The Deutsch Foundation is hiring our first Communications Director and I am looking for examples of job descriptions, and/or best practices for hiring this position.

As The Patterson Foundation continues to evolve, we are interested in learning from colleagues who have a position focused on innovation… such as a Chief Innovation Officer… or Chief Disruption Officer….or Futurist Officer. We welcome guidance from foundations who have created such a role, along with any contacts or links that would be appropriate.

Our Foundation is creating a policy for how often we should require an RFP process for evaluating and hiring investment advisors. By establishing a set timeline, we hope to make the process more about good governance and less about emotion. We are seeking feedback from funders who have established specific timeline for how often this process is undertaken.

Our Foundation is working on creating a financial status dashboard to present to our board on a quarterly basis. This would include investments and dividends, expenditures, future liabilities, etc. I’m wondering if others have examples of this type of dashboard that they would be willing to share with me?