Donor Blogs

When GiveWell started blogging, I said:

It is refreshing to see donors blogging instead of consultants and advisors (like me) telling everyone what donors want.

Now we have another donor blog, Open Hands, written by Mark Petersen of Bridgeway Foundation. Bridgeway is a Canadian based family foundation.

There are various blogs authored by employees of foundations. What I find interesting about Open Hands, is that it appears Mark is going to give us some insight into how a family foundation goes about their business. Most other foundation blogs are mission centered rather than process centered. Mike and Bridgeway clearly have a distinct mission, but here’s the quote that got my attention:

Grantmaking in a Web 2.0 World. …is a fantastic article which helps and stimulates us as grantmakers to keep on exploding the walls off our foundations.  Our tendency when we have power is to hold on to it and utilize it over others.  But if grantmaking is all about ‘giving it away’, then can we also share the inherent power that exists by virtue of our resources by being more transparent, accountable, and communicative with the communities we serve?

Serving others is the key here.  We exist to serve communities.  So how can we continue becoming more effective in our service to the broader community?  The article gives some suggestions.

“Exploding the walls off out foundations”… I can’t wait to read more.