We invite you to peruse this list of reports, articles, and communiqués from the front lines of grantmaking. Check out our folders for reflections on the grantmaker's role, "hardy perennials" on dilemmas that keep popping up, techniques that might helpfully migrate to our field, and toolkits that help you apply your knowledge. We welcome comments and new additions.
 

Philanthropy: Five Approaches for Making a Difference
From Foundation Source
This compendium reviews five funding strategies commonly used by grantmakers at family foundations. A great tool to help funders identify and leverage their unique resources  - expertise, networks, skills, etc. - before making the grant. Includes advantages and disadvantages to each approach, plus a section on "How to Make It Better." Stories come from clients of Foundation Source.

Creative Disruption: Sabbaticals for Capacity Building & Leadership Development in the Nonprofit Sector
Deborah S. Linnell of Third Sector New England and Tom Wolfred of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
"Everyone involved with the sabbatical expected the recipients to benefit but I don’t think we expected how positive it would be for the organizations. That has been a very rewarding surprise," says a grantmaker who funds sabbatical programs. Creative Disruption is a must-read for funders thinking about funding in this area. The report is based on survey responses from 61 sabbatical recipients and those whose served in their absence. Key findings: these programs can lead to increased nonprofit organizational capacity, stronger governance, and better succession planning. Funders gain, too, through stronger relationships with nonprofit leaders and better perspectives on the needs of communities they support. 
[PDF - 24 pages]

Partnering with Intermediaries
Tom David
If you're exploring the pros and cons of working with intermediaries, or even trying to right an existing but underperforming partnership, Tom David's Partnering with Intermediaries will offer useful insights. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the report captures lessons learned from funders, intermediary organizations, and experts in the field. Highlights: first principles for working with intermediaries ("clarity, partnership, networks, and the long view"); suggestions for when and how to help intermediary organizations scale up their work; and why working with intermediaries can lead to innovation for foundations.
[PDF - 32 pages]