http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/fundraising-gymnastics Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/fundraising-gymnastics/comment-page-1#comment-3813 Janice Chan Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:35:04 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/fundraising-gymnastics#comment-3813 It's politics - the why and how of who gets what. No politician agrees with public opinion 100% of the time on every issue. If you can't convince the public to agree with you and you don't give in to public opinion, then you lose. And then you are no longer in (or never achieve) a position to make policy changes and you're back to pestering your elected officials like the rest of us. Likewise, each foundation is a bit different in terms of what they fund, what their mission is, what their reporting requirements are, etc. Not saying that the system can't be improved (nor that it would necessarily be improved by standardizing everything--it certainly hasn't worked in our education system), but as the article you cited says, "nonprofits continue to do it because it works." As for investors vs. buyers...I'm not sure where exactly you'd draw the line. Buying stock in a company makes you an investor, right? What it comes down to is people and their philosophies. Not every investor is Warren Buffett nor is every consumer the ridiculously obnoxious and demanding customer at your local Starbucks. It’s politics – the why and how of who gets what. No politician agrees with public opinion 100% of the time on every issue. If you can’t convince the public to agree with you and you don’t give in to public opinion, then you lose. And then you are no longer in (or never achieve) a position to make policy changes and you’re back to pestering your elected officials like the rest of us. Likewise, each foundation is a bit different in terms of what they fund, what their mission is, what their reporting requirements are, etc. Not saying that the system can’t be improved (nor that it would necessarily be improved by standardizing everything–it certainly hasn’t worked in our education system), but as the article you cited says, “nonprofits continue to do it because it works.” As for investors vs. buyers…I’m not sure where exactly you’d draw the line. Buying stock in a company makes you an investor, right? What it comes down to is people and their philosophies. Not every investor is Warren Buffett nor is every consumer the ridiculously obnoxious and demanding customer at your local Starbucks.

]]> http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/fundraising-gymnastics/comment-page-1#comment-3784 Jason Dick Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:17:14 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/06/fundraising-gymnastics#comment-3784 I have found that a lot of organizations that I have worked for have "re-described" their old programs to apply for a new grant. I've also found a lot of organizations will start measuring things only in retrospect to please the grantor because they are asking for something they do not traditionally measure. I have found that a lot of organizations that I have worked for have “re-described” their old programs to apply for a new grant. I’ve also found a lot of organizations will start measuring things only in retrospect to please the grantor because they are asking for something they do not traditionally measure.

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