Featured Resources
2021 Annual Conference Plenary Remarks: Justice, Equity, and Philanthropy’s Future
Melissa Berman, President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; Kathleen Enright, President and CEO of Council on Foundations; Crystal Hayling, Executive Director of Libra Foundation; and Brenda Solorzano, Chief Executive Office of Headwaters Foundation discuss justice, equity, and philanthropy’s future, in a conversation moderated by Healthy Communities Foundation President Maria Pesqueira.
Self-Assessment for Health Foundation Boards
This webinar explores why foundations should consider a board self-assessment process and how this practice contributes to organizational effectiveness.
Investing in Change: Advocacy Strategies for Funders
Access this on-demand webinar to learn the dos and don’t of policy engagement for health philanthropies.
Latest Resources
Sustaining Changes in Foundation Practices
A new report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy explores how foundation practices have shifted in the last 18 months and whether those changes will be sustained in the future. Foundations Respond to Crisis: Lasting Change? documents shifts in how foundations identify applicants, reductions in administrative burdens for grantees, increases in unrestricted funding, and new efforts to advance racial equity.
Trust-Based Philanthropy: An Overview
This guide, created by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, is a useful starting point for funders who want to explore or deepen their commitment to trust-based philanthropy. It can also spark deeper discussions at grantmaking organizations around the role of leadership and staff in upholding a trust-based culture.
Trust-Based Philanthropy Project: 7 Responsibilities of A Trust-Based Board
Much like how trust-based philanthropy advocates for funders to partner in a spirit of service to grantee partners, it equally encourages boards to see their role as partners — both to the foundation’s leadership and to its staff. This can be embodied in several ways that invite a more trust-based, meaningful, and joyful approach to serving on a foundation board.
Leading with Intent: BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices
Based on BoardSource’s 2021 survey of nonprofit leaders, Leading with Intent: BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, provides benchmarking data on board composition, culture, and practices. It also offers a framework for exploring key questions
Building the Will, and the Way, to Advance Equity at the Maine Health Access Foundation
In 2016, the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) Board approved an extension of its strategic plan, as a bridge between the founding CEO and a new leader. Two issues were added to MeHAF’s work: equity, and the opiate epidemic. We had ideas about how to tackle the latter. We did not know where to start with the former.
A Southern Foundation’s Journey towards Equity
Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF) has been on an arc of change for many years, accelerating integration of an equity approach over the past three.
More Resources on Governance and Operations
Our work to enhance foundation effectiveness addresses organizational challenges related to governance, grantmaking, evaluation, communications, and other emerging issues. Explore this page to browse resources, publications, and events related to foundation operations and administration.
Get Involved
We want to hear from you! GIH plans to add new resources for trustees on this site in the coming months and we welcome your input. Please let us know about foundation board topics you are interested in or resources would like to see from GIH or share with your peers.
Interested in learning more? Contact Kate Treanor.
