Eye on FDO

Foundations and Mission Investing

The Foundation Center has just released a new report on the increasing use of mission-related investing by foundations. Key Facts on Mission Investing documents how foundations are trying to achieve social benefits through market-rate and below-market-rate investments known as mission-related investments (MRIs) and program-related investments (PRIs), respectively.

While grants and PRIs generally count toward foundations' charitable distribution requirements, MRIs do not, so they can represent a way for foundations to leverage their endowment investments to further social goals over and above their charitable distributions.

To learn more, read the Foundation Center press release on the new report and download the report iteslf, Key Facts on Mission Investing (4 pages, PDF)

 

 

From PhilanTopic - Introducing WASHfunders.org

The following is reposted from PhilanTopic, the Philanthropy News Digest blog.

Exciting news from the Foundation Center, which today launched WASHfunders.org.

Designed with philanthropic donors in mind, WASHfunders.org gives funders — and others interested in WASH-related issues — a "one-stop shop" for the data and information they need to improve water access, sanitation, and hygiene around the world.

The site's central feature is an interactive mapping application that shows where foundation grants are going, to which organizations, and for what purpose. WASHfunders.org is the first and only site with this critical data. What's more, foundation funding flows are shown within the context of international aid funding and key development indicators, providing a robust picture of the WASH landscape in any given country or region.

WASHfunders.org also provides free access to a broad set of knowledge resources, including:

• funder profiles documenting the WASH strategies of leading foundations;
• case studies that illustrate the successes and challenges of WASH projects around the world;
• tools and resources for assessing project outcomes; and
• a searchable archive of research reports recommended by sector leaders.

The Inside View section of the site is the place to go for updates on new content and features, and/or to share newsworthy events in the WASH sector. Go to the home page and you can register to get Inside View posts delivered to your e-mailbox.

Take a few minutes to look around the site. Then tell your friends and colleagues.

And let us know what you think of WASHfunders.org and how we can make it as useful and user-friendly as possible.

It's Annual Survey Time!

It's that time of year again, when we ask you to tell us what you think of Foundation Directory Online. If you give us just a few moments to complete the annual user survey and tell us about how you use FDO, how satisfied you are with different elements of it, and what enhancements to data and functionality you'd like to see us implement, you'll get more than our gratitude. If you'd like, we'll send you a promo code you can redeem for the free Digital Grant Guide (a $39.95 value) of your choice!

Grant guides are available for 25 different subject areas, covering everything grants for everything from AIDS/HIV research, to information technology, to the environment, to housing, and more.These PDF guides provide you with descriptions of hundreds—often thousands—of recent foundation grants of $10,000 or more, with convenient hyperlinks to essential funder information to help you identify prospects and get the grants you need. Just complete the survey, then keep an eye out for an email containing your promo gift code, which you can redeem for the guide of your choice. We'll start sending out the gift codes in about two weeks.

The feedback you provide is an invaluable resource for us as we strive to keep Foundation Directory Online up to your standards and make sure it remains an indispensable source for helping you meet your funding needs. So please, tell us what you think!

Foundation Directory Mobile

We recently reached an exciting milestone for the Foundation Directory Mobile app for iPhone: 1,000 downloads since its release!

We're excited about this not because we reached a nice round number, but because it means more and more of you think your access to Foundation Directory Online Professional is valuable enough to take it with you on the go, which tells us that you find FDO integral to your fundraising.

If you want to get the app for your iPhone (we're working on a version for Android to be released in the coming weeks) visit the FD Mobile home page and click through to the iTunes App Store. It's free to download, but you'll need your FDO Professional login to use it. You can also use it for free without a login at certain Foundation Center libraries and Cooperating Collections — just make sure your local collection has IP access to FDO and an open WiFi network.