Chapter 38: Overview of Grantmaking Foundations
The number of U.S. grant-making foundations and the amount they give have steadily increased since the late twentieth century. The foundation landscape is diverse and made up of private foundations categorized as independent, operating, corporate, and community foundations. It accounts for nearly a fifth of U.S. charitable giving. Foundation grants support charitable organizations with programmatic funds, unrestricted contributions, and capital contributions, among other options, and are using diverse approaches when working with nonprofits. Foundation fundraising requires a distinct understanding of the origins, interest areas, funding levels, and application processes specific to each organization. Key fundraising practices for long-term foundation support include carrying out research, assuring mission alignment, building a relationship, developing a proposal according to foundation processes, following up, and systematically carrying out evaluations. Foundation practices around DEI are evolving, albeit slowly, in response to the pandemic and widespread civil protests. Fundraisers attentive to their communities’ needs, the foundation landscape, and changing practices may harness the benefits of a foundation partnership for their organization’s mission.
Pat Danahey Janin
Pat Danahey Janin is a consultant, instructor, and Ph.D. candidate at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her research is on international philanthropy and the ocean, which led her to work for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science. She has taught at the Lilly Family School and SciencesPo Paris. Pat worked internationally for 18 years in the business, nonprofit, and government sectors, and holds an M.B.A. from ESCP Paris, a graduate degree from the Sorbonne Paris IV, and a B.A. from Colorado State University.
Angela R. Logan
Angela Logan, Ph.D., is an Associate Teaching Professor and the St. Andre Bessette Academic Director of the Master of Nonprofit Administration in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and nonprofit and philanthropic leadership. She is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Pat Danahey Janin and Angela Logan discuss the chapter with Bill Stanczykiewicz, Achieving Excellence editor and Director of The Fund Raising School.