The Top Five Challenges for Philanthropy
April 30th, 2007 by mcg
In 2006, the Council on Foundation asked some of their members for answers to three questions:
- From your vantage point, what are the two or three most important and urgent challenges that you would identify as priorities for philanthropy?
- What is the philanthropic opportunity? In other words, describe how effective philanthropy could make a difference in respect to these challenges.
- Do you know of any good examples of promising practices on which to build? Please provide details on how we could learn more about them.
The top five issues that they identified are intimately related to my inqury into the relationship between grantmakers and the new world of networks. In alphabetical order, they are:
- Capacity-building
- Collaboration
- Communications
- Effectiveness
- Relations (government & corporate)
I haven’t taken the time to read the rest of report yet to see what the details are in each of these five issue areas, but I look forward to seeing whether and how grantmakers are leveraging networks, participating in networks, and lowering the barriers to the building of networks.
Michael,
I’d be interested in hearing what you find, after you read further. Also, what can you recommend I read, as something new to network theories? Maybe another article you’ve written somewhere, or a list of recommended books?
Thanks,
Pete Manzo
Hi, sorry if this is a duplicate comment, thought I left one yesterday, but I see it didn’t take.
Would you perhaps have a copy of this report or its title? Searched the COF website and couldn’t find a copy, neither could the COF rep I emailed.
If it was only part of a conference presenters speak, even that would be okay, as I would like to reference the info you quoted in a research report I’m writing. Thanks so much in advance!