Propel Philanthropy Articles – Propel Philanthropy

September 3, 2024

Heroes of the Social Sector by Peter Brach

Imagine a world where every nonprofit had to reinvent the wheel, where donors fumbled in the dark to find causes aligned with their missions, or where most groundbreaking social innovations remained isolated and unknown. This was the reality of the social sector before the rise of what are known as…

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August 29, 2024

International Financial Standards Could Unlock Vast Funding Flows

Picture a small grassroots organization doing vital work in their community. They spend countless hours juggling different reporting requirements for each funder. Hours that could be spent serving their mission are instead lost to financial acrobatics. Now, multiply this problem across millions of non-profits worldwide. Then add the extensive time…

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July 12, 2023

Small Grants Can Drive Big Results

When thinking about funding and its impact, it's easy to assume that big grants are the ones that truly move the needle. In my experience, that's not always the case. Under the right circumstances small to modest grants, under the right circumstances, can generate big results. Beyond my responsibilities at…

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June 8, 2023

A Crisis That Affects All of Us!

GivingTuesday reported "...a sharp decline in donor participation in 2022, marking a long-term trend that began in 2012." This means there is less money available to support the causes that you, I, and others care about most! It is commendable that so many funders feel innate excitement for specific causes and interventions. Everyone…

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May 25, 2023

The Communication Barrier Between PSOs and Their Members

By Peter Brach Reflecting on my adolescence, I recall being struck by the pronounced communication gap between students and teachers, and even more significantly, between us and our parents. These seemingly invisible walls were seldom recognized or broached, leaving me to wonder how much could have been gained if we…

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January 5, 2023

Three Ways To Mitigate Risks When Supporting Social Impact Infrastructure Organizations

Before an innovation can positively impact higher proportions of people, one or more funders must provide seed funding. It is well-known that philanthropy is necessary for taking initial risks to pilot programs that, if successful, governments can scale. Likewise, unless people are willing to take at least some level of…

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August 21, 2022

Another Window Into Social Impact Infrastructure Organizations

Social impact infrastructure organizations create critical infrastructure plus the regional, national, and global resources we all use and need. Organizations including GoFundMe and GivingTuesday unlock large reservoirs of charitable capital that support countless nonprofits. Imagine what the world would be like today without Charity Navigator, which helps the general public…

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August 17, 2022

Adopting a Growth-Focused Approach Toward Giving

By Peter Brach Let me start by providing a few examples to illustrate a growth-focused approach toward giving. The END Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating neglected tropical diseases across the globe. One forward-thinking funder decided that rather than focusing on helping one program, he would galvanize his colleagues…

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July 15, 2022

It’s Time to Get Serious about Nonprofit Talent

By Phil Dearing, Co-Founder at Second Day The topic of salary came up recently while I had a few friends over for dinner. One makes $250K as a technical product manager, yet he feels considerably underpaid considering his skill set could increase his company’s revenue by millions of dollars per…

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