Our Strategy
Our Philanthropy Field Support Strategy supports roughly 25 infrastructure organizations that are devoted, in many different ways, to improving the practice of philanthropy, strengthening the sector, and advocating and defending the sector at the local, state, and national levels.
These organizations promote high standards of foundation and nonprofit governance, ethics, and accountability; build networks; conduct research and educational programs that support more effective grantmaking; provide professional development opportunities for foundation and nonprofit staff; offer information and services about fundraising to grant-seeking organizations; advocate for better policies affecting the sector; and, when necessary, defend the sector against potentially harmful policies.
Our support for these activities has evolved over more than 30 years, and reflects the Foundation's deep commitment to fully participate in efforts that strengthen the philanthropic sector.
Today, philanthropy continues to evolve rapidly, with many newly formed foundations and other funding organizations adding both substantial new resources and different ways of thinking about philanthropic work. The field is also seeing new and greater emphasis on issues of openness and transparency; approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and advances in evaluation, assessment, data management, and academic studies of the field.
Our funding for philanthropy infrastructure organizations–through a mixture of both grants and membership dues–enables us to remain in touch with new developments and new actors in the field, collaborate with our peer foundations, and advance projects necessary to ensure a vital sector.
