Comments on: My Take on Foundations and the Media http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/02/my-take-on-foundations-and-the-media Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Maggie F. Keenan http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/02/my-take-on-foundations-and-the-media/comment-page-1#comment-6385 Maggie F. Keenan Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:52:48 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/02/my-take-on-foundations-and-the-media#comment-6385 Here is my take on why foundations don't media coverage is that there is no competitive marketplace for them, with respect to a real monetized gain. Businesses employ and distribute releases about their giving because it positively positions them in the marketplace and affects brand positioning and awareness and we know what that can mean for them. I am not sure I agree with you about the 'giving away money is hard or is easy'. I always say that giving money away is the easiest part of philanthropy. It's how it's done, the process, that is hard. I don't think the press cares or even thinks that at all because they don't know. Unless folks have been on the grantmaking side, they don't know what's truly involved. And it makes philanthropy look like an easy and we all feel good about it. Few private foundations, with the exception of large private foundations, rarely if at all have a pr/marekting professional on staff or think pr is important. I don't think they think about it, and perhaps more information, education is what it may take to change a mindset or way of 'we've been doing it this way forever.' Correct me if I am wrong, but those larger private foundations had a tie to a large company so there is somewhat of an investment for them to get pr coverage. Corporate foundations on the other hand do a fairly decent job of getting media coverage, because there is a direct investment to do that. All around, coverage could be better for any type of foundation. I think the advantage of integrating pr is bottom-line driven for those that have a gain. Those that have a stake to promote do, those that don't, don't. Beyond that it's education for the 'Why' to all others. Here is my take on why foundations don’t media coverage is that there is no competitive marketplace for them, with respect to a real monetized gain. Businesses employ and distribute releases about their giving because it positively positions them in the marketplace and affects brand positioning and awareness and we know what that can mean for them.

I am not sure I agree with you about the ‘giving away money is hard or is easy’. I always say that giving money away is the easiest part of philanthropy. It’s how it’s done, the process, that is hard. I don’t think the press cares or even thinks that at all because they don’t know. Unless folks have been on the grantmaking side, they don’t know what’s truly involved. And it makes philanthropy look like an easy and we all feel good about it.

Few private foundations, with the exception of large private foundations, rarely if at all have a pr/marekting professional on staff or think pr is important. I don’t think they think about it, and perhaps more information, education is what it may take to change a mindset or way of ‘we’ve been doing it this way forever.’ Correct me if I am wrong, but those larger private foundations had a tie to a large company so there is somewhat of an investment for them to get pr coverage. Corporate foundations on the other hand do a fairly decent job of getting media coverage, because there is a direct investment to do that. All around, coverage could be better for any type of foundation.

I think the advantage of integrating pr is bottom-line driven for those that have a gain. Those that have a stake to promote do, those that don’t, don’t. Beyond that it’s education for the ‘Why’ to all others.

]]> By: Bruce Trachtenberg http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/02/my-take-on-foundations-and-the-media/comment-page-1#comment-6380 Bruce Trachtenberg Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:35:57 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/02/my-take-on-foundations-and-the-media#comment-6380 True enough, Sean... Building on your comment that giving money away is hard, it's worth a listen to an NPR piece that ran this morning that features several foundation folk offering cautionary advice to the Obama administration, which faces the task of giving away lots of money quickly -- and a job they want to do well. Best sound bite is from Pittsburgh Foundation President Grant Oliphant: "The whole idea that the government could have given away $350 billion to the banks without setting clear expectations for how that money would be used boggles the mind for those of us who work in philanthropy." You can hear a replay here: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=101234127&m=101234102 True enough, Sean…
Building on your comment that giving money away is hard, it’s worth a listen to an NPR piece that ran this morning that features several foundation folk offering cautionary advice to the Obama administration, which faces the task of giving away lots of money quickly — and a job they want to do well. Best sound bite is from Pittsburgh Foundation President Grant Oliphant: “The whole idea that the government could have given away $350 billion to the banks without setting clear expectations for how that money would be used boggles the mind for those of us who work in philanthropy.”

You can hear a replay here: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=101234127&m=101234102

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