New Ventures in Philanthropy

New Ventures in Philanthropy began as a unique initiative of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, funded by major national foundations to stimulate local giving in communities around the country.  It was Joe, under a grant from the Ford Foundation, who crafted the bold goals and overall design of this important initiative and recommended the Forum as its intermmediary.  According to Dottie Johnson, former CEO of the Michigan Council on Foundations, “Joe was a founding father of New Ventures, whether giving speeches or cheering from the sidelines.  Joe saw the power of many people, who cared about philanthropy, working with others to give of their treasure.  Joe always pushed the envelope, his creativity was infectious.”  Since its beginnings in the late ‘90s, New Ventures has attracted more than $570 million in new money to community foundation endowments, giving circles and other philanthropic vehicles.

The New Ventures Group has recently released the results of their 2006 evaluation of activities.   They are particularly excited to report that 90 percent of the New Ventures grantees are continuing to do work focused on growing giving, even without additional funding from New Ventures.  According to the New Ventures in Philanthropy Advisory Committee, “The first phase of the New Ventures initiative resulted not only in more money going towards philanthropic giving, but also caused lasting change by altering the way these organizations worked.”

Read the full report or a 10-page summary on the evaluation results, including methods, findings, analysis, and recommendations.