The Foundation Review: Call for Papers

In February I wrote about Tactical Philanthropy reader Teri Behrens (director of evaluation at W.K. Kellogg Foundation), new project The Foundation Review. Said Teri at the time:

I am very excited about this new venture because I believe the time is ripe for a peer-reviewed publication that will provide practical information about what works — and doesn’t work — in foundation-funded programs.

Articles submitted for the first issue (Comprehensive Community Change), planned for December 2008 publication, are out for peer review now. Teri has issued a call for papers for issue 2 & 3. Click here to get the details on how to submit your own paper.

I asked Teri why she thinks The Foundation Review is needed and she provided the answers below:

* Philanthropy is increasingly becoming recognized as a profession in its own right. A peer reviewed journal is a key mechanism for building the knowledge base of the profession.

* There is increasing demand for transparency about the workings and results of foundations.

* Anyone who works in philanthropy can point to stacks of technical reports about the field of philanthropy (e.g., those published by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and Foundation Strategies Group), and about the results accomplished by philanthropy (which are usually published by the foundations themselves). With no central place in which to publish these reports, retrieval and use of the information challenging at best.

* Existing disciplinary based peer reviewed journals may occasionally include articles on topics related to foundations, but they require a style of writing (e.g., an extensive literature review) that is not compatible with the way the sector works.

* Although much of what is published on the results of philanthropic work is written by external consultants — such as evaluation consultants — these consultants also may not have incentives or funding to enable them to spend time writing for peer reviewed publications. Further, disciplinary based journals may not be receptive to articles that report on the broader, community based issues that are generally of interest to foundations.