Molly Schultz Hafid (she/hers)

What is one of the worst kept secrets in philanthropy? Grantee budgets are fake. Grant managers and program officers spend hours each docket working with grantees to develop well-crafted budgets designed to move through the decision-making process with as few questions as possible. The resulting materials bear little resemblance to the information required for the effective financial management of the organization. The grantee and funder time dedicated to preparing and presenting fake… Show more

What is one of the worst kept secrets in philanthropy? Grantee budgets are fake. Grant managers and program officers spend hours each docket working with grantees to develop well-crafted budgets designed to move through the decision-making process with as few questions as possible. The resulting materials bear little resemblance to the information required for the effective financial management of the organization. The grantee and funder time dedicated to preparing and presenting fake funder budgets distracts us from the opportunity to have an honest conversation about trends in an organization’s overall financial health and better understand their long-term viability and capacity to deliver the programs we seek to support. For these reasons, the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock eliminated budgets from our application requirements. We replaced them with narrative questions, a financial health assessment based on data available in the IRS Form 990, and a program officer discussion guide. Together, these tools have resulted in a higher level of relevant Board engagement, a greater degree of confidence from program officers in discussing financial management practices with grantees, and a reduced burden on grantees in time spent preparing the Veatch Program application. This article provides an overview of the development of the financial health assessment, the decision-making and training process with the Board, and the implementation of the new requirements with grantees. The article includes data on the financial health trends we have observed based on a full year of grantmaking to almost 200 diverse grantees. Show less

The blog post is part of the "What is a Justice Funder" series by the Bay Area Justice Funders. The post argues that eliminating fake funder budgets can improve financial due diligence and increase the value of a grant.

Organizations working on hot button issues may be the targets of politically motivated attacks by opponents. While such attacks are not common, they can be quite damaging to a group’s reputation and fundraising. To prepare for such an attack, organizations should keep records up to date and make sure they’re in compliance with lobbying rules. Additionally, an organization should have a plan for how to proactively engage your funders.

Institution-based community organizations (IBCO) are transformative – person-by-person and community by community. Interfaith Funders is an affinity group of secular and faith-based funders, and over the last two years we have worked with academic researchers to conduct a comprehensive census of IBCOs. The census builds on the baseline data collected in 1999 and provides us with the rare opportunity to look back and measure the real changes in this field. What we found through our State of the… Show more

Institution-based community organizations (IBCO) are transformative – person-by-person and community by community. Interfaith Funders is an affinity group of secular and faith-based funders, and over the last two years we have worked with academic researchers to conduct a comprehensive census of IBCOs. The census builds on the baseline data collected in 1999 and provides us with the rare opportunity to look back and measure the real changes in this field. What we found through our State of the Field project demonstrates the value of funding multi-issue, multi-constituency community organizing, as well as the merits of general operating support and multi-year funding. This article provides an overview of our report "Building Bridges, Building Power: Developments in Institution-Based Community Organizing," explains the structure and approach of institution-based community organizing, how it has expanded over the past decade, the current funding of the field, and recommendations for philanthropy. Show less

This paper examines philanthropic efforts aimed at improving relations between the U.S. and Muslim societies by examining U.S. foundations and public charities supporting communities impacted by the events of September 11, 2011 and U.S. Foundations funding in the Middle East and North African region. Philanthropic institutions play an integral role in helping to improve relations. As independent interlocutors, they are able to objectively assess the needs of communities in the United States… Show more

This paper examines philanthropic efforts aimed at improving relations between the U.S. and Muslim societies by examining U.S. foundations and public charities supporting communities impacted by the events of September 11, 2011 and U.S. Foundations funding in the Middle East and North African region. Philanthropic institutions play an integral role in helping to improve relations. As independent interlocutors, they are able to objectively assess the needs of communities in the United States and overseas, and can work to help directly address these needs and alleviate tensions. This paper examines how the philanthropic sector has proven to be a leader in engaging and how it can continue to develop innovative approaches to complex situations. Show less

Emerging Trends in Social Justice Philanthropy in Egypt proposes a working definition of social justice philanthropy and explores the emerging trends in social justice philanthropy in Egypt at a time of evolving perceptions and practices of giving. The heart of the analysis is an exploration of how social justice concepts and practices are expressed within institutional philanthropy in Egypt, particularly the emergence of funding streams for social justice-related programs and causes. The… Show more

Emerging Trends in Social Justice Philanthropy in Egypt proposes a working definition of social justice philanthropy and explores the emerging trends in social justice philanthropy in Egypt at a time of evolving perceptions and practices of giving. The heart of the analysis is an exploration of how social justice concepts and practices are expressed within institutional philanthropy in Egypt, particularly the emergence of funding streams for social justice-related programs and causes. The paper makes the case that foundations in Egypt, and elsewhere in the region, should encourage the development of a more diverse charitable infrastructure with the capacity to direct those donations where they are most needed, thereby freeing foundations to support advocacy and social change work that will address the root causes of injustice. Show less