Current Call for Papers

Call for Papers: Volume 5, Issue 1

Abstracts of up to 250 words are being solicited for Volume 5, Issue 1 of The Foundation Review.  This issue will be a themed issue on “Collaborative Approaches to Growing Impact” and will be co-edited by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, a powerful coalition of more than 370 grantmaking organizations committed to building stronger, more effective nonprofits.

This issue of The Foundation Review aims to tap into the knowledge and experiences of those across the field who are engaging in collaborative grantmaking practices. We seek papers on issues including, but not limited to, the grantmaker’s role in:

        - Cross-Sector Partnerships: How can grantmakers collaborate with partners in the field to align funding strategies? How can grantmakers identify and leverage other funding resources to support grantees? What are effective strategies for communicating in a partnership? What are effective strategies for overcoming barriers in public-private partnerships?

       -Supporting Networks: What are strategies for growing existing networks? How do   grantmakers assess the effectiveness of a network? How do grantmakers respond to changing conditions and implications of an area of grantee work? How can funders support the flexibility of network interaction while pursuing collective action?

       - Collective Leadership: To accommodate the growing intersections of our work, grantmakers are increasingly shifting towards a model of collective leadership which focuses on a shared sense of purpose, commitment to goals, understanding of how goals will be achieved and a distribution of power among stakeholders. How can grantmakers help build collective leadership capacity in nonprofits?  How can grantmakers collect and incorporate input from stakeholders throughout the grantmaking cycle? How can grantmakers delegate decision-making power to representatives of recipient communities?

       - Funding outcomes: Where does a grantmaker’s focus on outcomes intersect with their engagement of community and key stakeholders? Is there currently a constituency for “what works” and, if not, how can we build such a constituency? How can grantmakers maintain general operating support and multiyear support despite the economic downturn? How do grantmakers build capacity within their own organization to assess and support the financial health of grantees? How are grantmakers right-sizing grantee reporting requirements?

Submit abstracts to submissions@foundationreview.org by May 11, 2012. If a full paper is invited, it will be due July 15, 2012 for consideration for publication in March 2013.

Abstracts are solicited in four categories:

·       Results. Papers in this category generally report on findings from evaluations of foundation-funded work. Papers should include a description of the theory of change (logic model, program theory), a description of the grant-making strategy, the evaluation methodology, the results, and discussion. The discussion should focus on what has been learned both about the content (e.g., what has been learned about communications strategies, etc.) and about grantmaking and other foundation roles (convening, etc.). We especially seek papers that describe “hard lessons” – efforts that were not successful in achieving the intended outcomes in the timeframe envisioned.

·       Tools Papers in this category should describe tools useful for foundation staff or boards. By “tool” we mean a systematic, replicable method intended for a specific purpose. For example, a protocol to assess community or organizational readiness and standardized facilitation methods would be considered tools. The actual tool should be included in the article where practical. The paper should describe the rationale for the tool, how it was developed, and available evidence of its usefulness.

·       Sector. Papers in this category address issues that confront the philanthropic sector as whole, such as diversity, accountability, etc.

·       Reflective Practice. The reflective practice articles rely on the knowledge and experience of the authors, rather than on formal evaluation methods or designs.   In these cases, it is because of their perspective about broader issues, rather than specific initiatives, that the article is valuable.

Papers should emphasize the practical applications of the findings. The reviewers will be evaluation professionals, foundation program and evaluation staff and board members, and other experts in the content area. Reviews will be double blind.

BOOK REVIEWS:  The Foundation Review also publishes reviews of books relevant to the journal audience.  Please contact the editor to discuss submitting a review.  Reviewers must be free of conflicts of interest.

Please contact Teri Behrens, Editor of The Foundation Review with questions at behrenst@foundationreview.org or 734-646-2874.