Report highlights structural advantages of smaller foundations
Melanie May | 29 November 2021 | News
Smaller foundations may be constrained by limited resource, capacity, and time, but their agility in decision making and connections to local communities can provide an advantage in pursuing ambitious and effective practice, according to a Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) report.
Other advantages held by smaller foundations can include leaner bureaucracy, and being able to ‘stick or twist’ with their objectives more flexibly, ACF found.
Its report, 10 Pillars of Stronger Practice for Smaller Foundations, is part of its Stronger Foundations initiative, which aims to help foundations improve practices to increase effectiveness. It highlights 10 ‘pillars of practice’ that it believes smaller foundations are particularly well placed to pursue, regardless of remit, level of resource, or operating model.
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The 10 pillars of stronger practice for smaller foundations:
1.Understands its mission and the impact it is seeking to achieve
2.Thinks collaboratively to pursue impact and advance its learning
3.Identifies and selects funding practices that are most likely to fulfil its mission and designs its processes in accordance with its values
4.Seeks to achieve positive impact beyond a financial contribution
5.Is aware of the external context and its role in the wider ecosystem
6.Continually strengthens its governance, including its diversity
7.Invests time and resources in understanding and defining diversity, equity, and inclusion
8.Makes itself accountable to those it serves and supports
9.Understands that responsibility for its investments sits with each and every member of the trustee board
10.Understands the importance of transparency and engagement, and articulates its approach
The pillars were selected with input from ACF’s smaller funders network of nearly 150 foundation staff and trustee representatives. The report also includes examples of how smaller foundations are pursuing ambitious practice related to these pillars.
ACF has also created a bespoke self-assessment tool to accompany this report and help members to consider actions relating to each pillar, reflect on performance, summarise planned actions and track progress.
ACF CEO, Carol Mack OBE, said:
“Smaller foundations are the lifeblood of our sector – their commitment and creativity is truly inspiring. As this report brings out so clearly, it is a complete myth that foundations need lots of staff and resources to make a difference to the communities and causes that they care about. I’d like to thank the ACF Smaller funders network for their insights which made it possible for us to develop this resource, and hope that the result is a source of both support and inspiration for the many smaller foundations we are proud to serve as members of ACF.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.