Major donors have investments that are earmarked for charitable purposes. But lately I’ve been wondering how to unlock that value. Philanthropy offers a way to see invested funds create social change. It happens through surrender – giving it away. As one surrenders capital, and trusts a valued charity, those investments are channeled into lives changed: education received, capacity built, vision … Read More
Foundations need to spend more
How does your family foundation or fund set its annual giving budget? This is a question that arises each year, and is one that requires some discussion within a family. The legal requirements mandated by the CRA are actually very minimal. Under the Charities Act and to comply with a foundation’s charitable purpose, endowed foundations must give 3.5% of average … Read More
What are Charity Profiles?
Stronger Philanthropy recognizes the challenges many foundations face with traditional application processes which are reactive. With open processes where any charity can apply for grants, the foundation is overwhelmed by a high volume of requests. Most of these are quickly discarded. It is unfortunate that extensive work is done by charities to develop LOIs and grant applications, and the result … Read More
How to get unstuck
Family foundations start out with lots of dreams to impact their communities through their giving, advocacy, and support. They usually start by giving close to home and to those with whom they have a pre-existing relationship. But over time challenges arise. Personnel changes, program developments, lack of project fulfillment, and changing priorities by donors create situations where givers begin to … Read More