Weekly Reader – February 18, 2019

What we’re reading and recommending this week. We add to this post throughout the week and look for your suggestions in the comments.

Monday, February 18

Grantee Voice: Improve Funder Approaches to Grantmaking Goals and Strategies (Naomi Orensten, CEP Blog) Nonprofit leaders frequently lament funder-initiated, top-down approaches. They note that funders, on the whole, should hear more from the nonprofits and constituents they seek to serve.

Tuesday, February 19

Philanthropy: Perilous Times Call for Bold Measures (Tory Gavito, NCRP Blog) A national collaborative of funders and organizers is asking foundations and donors to meet the challenges of our time by responsive grantmaking, breaking silos and going local.

Wednesday, February 20

Making Civic Engagement Efforts Work (Hollie Russon Gilman and Elena Souris, SSIR) New experiments with civic engagement, outreach, and philanthropic models in Philadelphia offer inspiration for leaders across the social sector.

Thursday, February 21

Is Your Board Ready to Tackle Equity? (Rick Moyers, NCRP Blog) Four signs that your board is ready for deeper equity work, and what to do if your board isn’t.

Friday, February 22

From Risk Management to Risk Leadership: A Governance Conversation with David O. Renz (Editors and David D. Renz, Nonprofit Quarterly) Nonprofit governance expert David Renz points out that it is not enough to “manage” risk; rather, modern nonprofit boards must learn to welcome and become intimate with it.