Updated Lists of Foundations, Staff and Board on Twitter

I’ve created new lists of:

• Grantmaking Foundations on Twitter and
• Foundation Staff and Board Members on Twitter

These lists will make it incredibly easy for you to follow the funders on Twitter, and easier for me to update. Unfortunately, the format doesn’t allow me to post additional information, like foundation locations or job titles, which are included in 130 Foundations That Tweet and 61 Foundation Staff and Board Members on Twitter.

Just like those posts, these lists are limited to philanthropic organizations that make grants, and individuals who work at grantmaking foundations or serve on foundation boards, and whose tweets include (but do not necessarily focus on) information about their foundations, nonprofits, and philanthropy.

Please let me know what you think and if you find these lists useful!

61 Foundation Staff and Board Members on Twitter

Below is a list of 61 individuals who work at grantmaking foundations or serve on foundation boards, and whose tweets include (but do not necessarily focus on) information about their foundations, nonprofits, and philanthropy.  This is an update to the 16 foundation staff who were originally listed on my “90 Foundations That Tweet” blog post (those with an asterisk * are new additions since that list). I’m excited to see that 67% hold leadership positions (managers, senior program officers, directors, vice presidents, CEOs, and board members). And its not just communications and technology staff who are tweeting:  only about one-third hold communications and technology positions (based upon my understanding of the job titles).

1. @allieb37 * (Case Foundation – Communications Director)
2. @AndresHenriquez * (Carnegie Corporation of New York – Program Officer)
3. @andystitt829 * (Project Management Institute Education Foundation – Associate)
4. @AnsonF * (Paul G. Allen Family Foundation – Senior Program Officer)
5. @BrianSasscer * (Case Foundation – Senior Vice President, Strategic Operations)
6. @broksas (Case Foundation – Senior Vice President, Innovation & Investment)
7. @cajunjen * (United Nations Foundation – Online Communications staff person)
8. @carolharmon * (The Columbus Foundation – Director of Marketing and Communication)
9. @ChangeEvnglst * (Community Foundation of South Jersey – Executive Director)
10. @cbeddia (Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina – Marketing & Communications Director)
11. @CHayling * (Blue Shield of California Foundation – CEO)
12. @danielolias (The James Irvine Foundation – Director of Communications and Corporate Secretary)
13. @dianefromm * (Project Management Institute Education Foundation – Administrator)
14. @dkrumlauf (Pierce Family Charitable Foundation – Chief Technologist)
15. @drsieg * (Grand Rapids Community Foundation – President)
16. @elzbthmllr * (The Overbrook Foundation – Senior Program Associate)
17. @ElizDickson * (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Research Assistant)
18. @elstudio * (Case Foundation – Senior Director, Technology)
19. @epbro (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation – Communications Director)
20. @gtf_wynn * (Greater Texas Foundation – Executive Director)
21. @ibarguen * (John S. and James L. Knight Foundation – President and CEO)
22. @jacobcharold (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation – Program Officer)
23. @jasonwagar (Toronto Community Foundation – Donor Services and Marketing Officer)
24. @JCVukusich* (The Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties – Senior Program Officer)
25. @jeancase * (Case Foundation – CEO)
26. @JeanetteBarr * (Project Management Institute Education Foundation – Development Manager)
27. @jessamynlau (Peery Foundation – Program Leader)
28. @KarcsiG * (Missouri Foundation for Health – Director of Evaluation)
29. @KBergeman * (Lancaster County Community Foundation – Communications Coordinator)
30. @kivie * (Case Foundation – Program Associate)
31. @Lisa_A_Harris * (The Colorado Health Foundation – Manager of Communications Technology and New Media)
32. @lewgedansky * (Project Management Institute Educational Foundation – Executive Director)
33. @marcfest * (John S. and James L. Knight Foundation – Vice President, Communications)
34. @mstohner * (Case Foundation – Director, Marketing and Partnerships)
35. @msmithDC * (Case Foundation – Vice President, Social Innovation)
36. @mvsachse * (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Program Associate)
37. @PamOmidyar * (Omidyar Network – Co-Founder)
38. @patrowan * (The Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties – Grants Manager)
39. @PaulTarini * (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Senior Program Officer & Team Leader, Pioneer Program)
40. @paultofu (The Cleveland Foundation – Program Officer)
41. @philanthropy411 * (Community Foundation of Lorain County – Board Member)
42. @razoobe * (Burroughs Wellcome Fund – Communications Officer)
43. @RocchiJulia * (United Nations Foundation – Online Communications Officer)
44. @safosterny * (The Overbrook Foundation – President and CEO)
    
45. @saraholdmixon * (The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region – Director of Workforce Initiatives)
46. @socialcitizen (Case Foundation – Vice President, Social Innovation)
47. @sokunthea * (Case Foundation – Director, Interactive Communications)
48. @stephaniemca (David and Lucile Packard Foundation – Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Directed Grantmaking)
49. @stephenjdowns * (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Assistant Vice President)
50. @SteveCase * (Case Foundation – Chairman)
51. @susanpromislo * (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Communications Officer)
52. @theshackman * (Case Foundation – Associate, Interactive Strategies)
53. @TiffanyTSmith (Annie E. Casey Foundation – Public Relations & Communications Strategiest)
54. @TinaArnoldi (Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina -Information Technology Officer)
55. @tomjd* (Ashoka – Social Media Director)
56. @tomkaecf (Annie E. Casey Foundation – Evaluation Manager)
57. @TristaHarris * (Headwaters Foundation – Executive Director)
58. @victoriavrana (Venture Philanthropy Partners – Vice President, Communications and Assessment)
59. @WendyLJack * (The Kresge Foundation – Senior Program Officer)
60. @wheresdabeefy * (United Nations Foundation)
61. @wilhan * (Skillman Foundation – Director of Communications and Technology)

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

This list was compiled by (1) including foundation staff and board members I am following or have encountered on Twitter, (2) posting several tweets requesting names of foundation staff and board members on Twitter (each of which were extensively retweeted), and (3) adding individuals who were suggested via comments to this blog.  Some people were not included because they did not appear to tweet about their foundation or philanthropy, or because their accounts were inactive at the time this list was compiled.

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

130 Foundations That Tweet

As a new blogger, I was surprised by the popularity of my earlier post, “90 Foundations That Tweet.” That post was re-tweeted 58 times in 12 hours after I posted it on Twitter (after that I stopped counting), received over 5,400 blog hits the first week it posted, was analyzed for profile patterns by nonprofit social media expert Beth Kanter, helped inspire a video blog with Susan Herr (PhilanthroMedia) and Micheal Margolis (GetStoried) discussing how foundations are using new communications technologies to engage audiences, was highlighted on the Case Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Communications Network, Modern Giving, Tactical Philanthropy, and SocialBrite blogs and websites, and inspired 76 comments.

I’ve updated the list with 40 more funders on Twitter. For your convenience, all new additions have an asterisk (*) after their name.  This includes private, community, family, corporate, and international funders, as well as a few giving circles and other grantmaking organizations. I’m sure there are more out there, so if you know of a foundation that should be on the list please add a comment.  My next post will be an updated list of 50+ foundation staff and board members who Tweet!

130 Foundations on Twitter

1. Alaska Community Foundation (Anchorage, AK) @AKCommunity
2. The Allstate Foundation* (Northbrook, IL) @clicktoempower
3. American Institute for Cancer Research* (Washington, DC) @aicrtweets
4. Australian Cancer Research Foundation* (Sydney, Australia) @Cancer_Research
5. Alexander Abraham Foundation* (New York, NY) @aabrahamfound
6. Annie E. Casey Foundation (Baltimore, MD) @AnnieECaseyFndn
7. Anthony Robbins Foundation (San Diego, CA) @AR_foundation
8. Armstrong County Community Foundation (Kittanning, PA) @ACCF
9. Ashoka* (Arlington, VA) @AshokaTweets
10. AshokaTech* – Ashoka’s Technology Blog (Arlington, VA)  @AshokaTech
11. Ashoka’s Changemaker program* (Washington, DC) @Changemakers
12. Ashoka’s YouthVenture program* (Arlington, VA) @AshokaGenV
13. Atlantic Philanthropies (New York, NY) @atlantic
14. Baltimore Community Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) @baltcommfdn
15. Black Benefactors* (Washington, DC) @BlkBenefactors
16. Black Card Circle Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) @BCCF
17. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle, WA) @gatesfoundation
18. The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation* (San Francisco, CA) @a_breath_away
19. Bridge Builders Community Foundations (Oil City, Pennsylvania) @BBCF
20. The Broad Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) @BroadFoundation
21. Carl B & Florence E. King Foundation (Dallas, TX) @kingfoundation
22. Carnegie Corporation of New York* (New York, NY) @CarnegieCorp
23. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Stanford, CA) @CarnegieFdn
24. Case Foundation (Washington, DC) @CaseFoundation
25. Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (Tulsa, OK) @clsff
26. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, MI) @mottfoundation
27. Chicago Foundation for Women (Chicago, IL) @ChiFdn4Women
28. The Cleveland Foundation (Cleveland, OH) @CleveFoundation
29. Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina (Charleston, SC) @GeorgeStevens
30. The Colorado Health Foundation* (Denver, CO) @COHealthFDN
31. Columbia Foundation* (Columbia, MD) @ColumbiaFdn
32. The Columbus Foundation (Columbus, OH) @colsfoundation
33. The Community Foundation Boulder County (Bolder, CO) @CommFound
34. Community Foundation for Calderdale (Halifax, UK) @CalderdaleFound
35. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) @CFGB
36. Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan* (Detroit, MI) @cfsem
37. Community Foundation for Southern Arizona* (Tuscon, AZ) @SoAZCommunityFd
38. The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington (Vancouver, WA) @CFSWW
39. Community Foundation for The Fox Valley Region (Appleton, Wisconsin) @CFFoxValley
40. The Community Foundation in Jacksonville* (Jacksonville, FL) @CJacksonville
41. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) @comfoundbham
42. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County* (Sarasota, FL) @NonprofitSRQ
43. Community Foundation of Medicine Hat & Southeastern Alberta (Alberta, Canada) @CFMH
44. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (Nashville, TN) @CFMT
45. The Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties* (West Palm Beach, FL) @cfpmbc
46. Community Foundation of South East Kansas (Pittsburg, KS) @CFSEK
47. The Community Foundation of The Lowcountry (Hilton Head Island, SC) @cflowcountry
48. Community Shares of Milwaukee* (Madison, WI) @MKEshares
49. Community Shares of Minnesota* (St. Paul, MN) @changeisbetter
50. Community Shares of Wisconsin* (Madison, WI) @CommSharesWI
51. Crossroads Community Foundation (MetroWest area of Massachusetts) @CCFDN
52. The Dale Jr. Foundation (Mooresville, NC) @tdjf
53. Dallas Social Venture Partners (Dallas, TX) @DallasSVP
54. Detroit Foundation (Detroit, MI) @dfoundation
55. EchoingGreen* (New York, NY) @echoinggreen
56. Eychaner Foundation (Des Moines, IA) @eychanerfndn
57. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (Kansas City, MO) @KauffmanFDN
58. Flinn Foundation (Phoenix, AZ) @biozonanews
59. Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation* (Morristown, NJ) @grdodge
60. GivenGain Foundation (Switzerland) @GivenGain
61. GlobalGiving* (Washington, DC) @globalgiving
62. Grand Rapids Community Foundation (Grand Rapids,MI) @GRCommFound
63. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (Cincinnati, OH) @GrCinciFdn
64. Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (Kansas City, MO) @gkccf
65. The Greater Saint John Community Foundation (St. John, New Brunswick) @GSJCF
66. Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice (Venice, FL) @GulfCoastCF
67. Hawaii Community Foundation (Honolulu, HI) @HCFHawaii
68. Headwaters Foundation for Justice* @HeadwatersFdn
69. HealthCare Foundation of Greater Kansas City (Kansas City, MO) @HCF4KC
70. The Hopi Foundation (Kykotsmovi, AZ) @Hopi_Foundation
71. Horizons Foundation (San Francisco, CA) @horizonsfdn
72. The James Irvine Foundation* (San Francisco, CA) @IrvineFdn
73. The Jenzabar Foundation* (Boston, MA) @StudentsCare
74. Jolkona Foundation (Seattle, WA) @jolkona
75. Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (Topeka, KS) @KSDentalFound
76. Kerstner Foundation (El Segundo, CA) @KerstnerFDN
77. Knight Foundation (Miami, FL) @knightfdn
78. MacArthur Foundation (Chicago, IL) @MacFound
79. Make-A-Wish Foundation* (Phoenix, AZ) @WishAmerica
80. Micron Foundation (Boise, ID) @Micron_Giving
81. Milken Foundation (Santa Monica, CA) @Milken
82. The Moyer Foundation (Seattle, WA) @MoyerFoundation
83. Ms Foundation (New York, NY) @outrageousacts
84. NASCAR Foundation (Charlotte, NC) @NASCAR_Foundat
85. New Profit* (Cambridge, MA) @newprofit
86. New York State Dental Foundation (Albany, NY) @NYSDF
87. One Star Foundation (Austin, TX) @onestarfdn
88. Open Society Institute (New York, NY) @OpenSociety
89. The Orphan Foundation (Southern CA) @TOF4Orphan
90. Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (Oshkosh, WI) @OACF
91. Peery Foundation (Palo Alto, CA) @davepeery
92. Pittsburgh Foundation (Pittsburgh, PA) @PittsburghFdn
93. Pride Foundation (Seattle, WA) @PrideFdn
94. Project Management Institute Educational Foundation* (Newtown Square, PA) @pmief
95. Rally Foundation (Sandy Springs, GA) @RallyFoundation
96. Reeve Foundation (Short Hills, NJ) @ReeveFoundation
97. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Princeton, NJ) @rwjf
98. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Media Center (Princeton, NJ) @RWJF_mediacntr
99. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio (Princeton, NJ) @pioneerrwjf
100. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Public Health Portfolio (Princeton, NJ) @RWJF_PubHealth
101. Rosa: The UK Fund for Women and Girls (London, UK) @RosaForWomen
102. The SAFE Foundation (United Kingdom) @SAFEFoundation
103. Saint Luke’s Foundation (Cleveland, OH) @saintlukesfdn
104. The Saint Paul Foundation & Minnesota Community Foundation* (Saint Paul, MN) @twofoundations
105. San Antonio Area Foundation (San Antonio, TX) @SAAFdn
106. Siemens Foundation (Iselin, NJ) @sfoundation
107. Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) @SCFSC
108. The Skillman Foundation* (Detroit, MI) @skillmanfound
109. Skoll Foundation (Palo Alto, CA) @SkollFoundation
110. Social Venture Partners Arizona* (Flagstaff, AZ) @tkwoganSVP
111. Social Venture Partners Boulder County (Boulder, CO) @svpboulder
112. Social Venture Partners Delaware (Wilmington, DE) @SVPDE
113. Social Venture Partners Portland (Portland, OR) @SVPPortland
114. Social Venture Partners San Diego (San Diego, CA) @SVPSanDiego
115. Social Venture Partners Seattle (Seattle, WA) @paulshoeSVP
116. Social Venture Partners Toronto (Toronto, Canada) @SVP_Toronto
117. The Stafford Foundation* (Washington, DC) @Staffordfnd
118. Sunlight Foundation (Washington, DC) @SunFoundation
119. Taproot Foundation (San Francisco, CA) @taprootfound
120. United Nations Foundation (Washington, DC) @unfoundation
121. United Nations Foundation – Vodafone Foundation’s Technology Partnership* (Washington, DC) @Tech4Dev
122. The V Foundation (Cary, NC) @TheVFoundation
123. Venture Philanthropy Partners (Washington, DC) @vppartners
124. West Central Initiative* (Fergus Falls, MN) @WCIMinn
125. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Menlo Park, CA) @Hewlett_Found
126. William J. Clinton Foundation* (New York, NY) @ClintonTweet
127. WK Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, MI) @WK_Kellogg_Fdn
128. Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County* @WGCHowardCounty
129. The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (Memphis, TN) @WFGM_ORG
130. The Women’s Foundation of California (San Francisco, CA) @womensfoundca

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

This list was compiled by (1) including foundations I am following or have encountered on Twitter, (2) posting many tweets requesting names of foundations on Twitter (each of which were extensively retweeted), (3) searching for “foundation” on Twitter, (4) adding foundations that were suggested via comments to the “90 Foundations That Tweet” blog, and (5) checking Twitter profiles and websites as needed to determine if they are grantmaking foundations. Many nonprofits use the word “foundation” in their name but are not grantmaking organizations so they were not included. Similarly, organizations that raise money to provide funds for a particular organization, such as a hospital or university foundation, were not included. Additionally, I have chosen not to include United Way organizations on this list, in part because there are so many of them on Twitter (109 last time I counted!) and also because they are very easy to find. Just go to the Twitter search page and type: United Way

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

17 More Foundation Resources on Twitter

As a follow up to 21 Community Foundations, 90 Foundations, and 20 Funder Networks That Tweet, here are more 17 foundation resources you should follow on twitter.

Foundation Center

The Foundation Center is a fabulous national organization whose mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy. The Foundation Center offers a searchable directory of foundations; free or low-cost webinars, workshops and classes; resources such as Philanthropy News Digest and PubHub; useful research on the impact of the economic crisis on foundations and nonprofits; and friendly librarians who are happy to help you. They have offices in five US cities (Cleveland, San Francisco, New York City, Washington DC, and Atlanta), all of which tweet, and hundreds of cooperating collections across the country. OK, I must confess that I serve on the Advisory Board of the Foundation Center-Cleveland, but I was an avid fan even before that. I highly recommend following them on Twitter:

• Foundation Center @fdncenter
• Foundation Center-Cleveland @FCCleveland
• Foundation Center-Atlanta @FCAtlanta
• Foundation Center-San Francisco @FCSanFrancisco
• Foundation Center-Washington DC @FCWashington
• Foundation Center – New York @FCNewyork
• Foundation Center – Focus on the Economic Crisis @FC_econcrisis
• Foundation Center – Philanthropy News Digest @pndblog

Additionally, at least one cooperating collection of the Foundation Center – the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD – is on Twitter @Grants_Pratt

Philanthropy-related publications

To find the latest news about the philanthropic sector, check out:

• Alliance Magazine @Alliancemag
• Chronicle of Philanthropy @Philanthropy
• NonProfitTimes @NPT
• Philanthropy Journal @phijo
• Third Sector (U.K.) @ThirdSector

And don’t forget Philanthropy News Digest @pndblog, a service of the Foundation Center mentioned above.

Other funder resources:

Lastly, here are a few random resources to follow on Twitter:

• @onlyfoundations – This is a twitter feed of web content from private foundations, corporate givers, and other nonprofit funders.
• Charity Navigator @charitynav – Charity Navigator evaluates the financial health of over 5000 of the largest US charities
• Guidestar @guidestarusa – Guidestar is a searchable, online database of information about nonprofits and foundations, including 990 Forms, financial information, annual reports, reviews, etc.
• Philanthropy Archives (at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) @philanthropyArc – Collection of historical records of foundation, nonprofits, and donors

FYI, I purposefully chose not to include philanthropy consultants (like myself!) on this list, although there are some terrific ones with useful, thought provoking Twitter content. I know there are hundreds if not thousands of people on Twitter who would describe themselves as philanthropy consultants, so it would be challenging to post a list. Although not yet on Twitter, anyone looking for a foundation consultant can check out the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers’ searchable, online directory of consultants.

If you can think of other useful philanthropy resources on Twitter, please add a comment to share them. If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President of Putnam Community Investment Consulting © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

20 Funder Networks That Tweet

There was so much interest in last month’s post of 90 Foundations That Tweet that I wanted to expand on it by sharing a list of funder networks on Twitter.

What is a Funder Network?

According to the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers:

Funder networks consist of grantmakers organized around a specific funding issue, geographic location, or identity-based community that come together to build their skills, capacity, and impact.  The networks:

• come in all shapes and sizes, including small and large private foundations, individual donors, community foundations, and philanthropists
• recognize the benefits of pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and benefiting from each other’s experiences
• increase resources for and focus attention on issues or underserved sectors

Below are 20 funder networks that tweet:

1. Arizona Grantmakers Forum (via CEO Marissa Theisen) @MRT5244
2. Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers @ABAGrantmakers
3. Council on Foundations @COF_
4. Council of Michigan Foundations @michfoundations
5. Donors Forum of South Florida @donorsforumSF
6. Donors Forum of Wisconsin @donorsforumofWI
7. Emerging Practioners in Philanthropy @rustystahl
8. Emerging Practioners in Philanthropy-Michigan @EPIPMichigan
9. Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers @givingforum
10. Funders Together to End Homelessness @funderstogether
11. Grantmakers Forum of New York @GrantmakersNY
12. Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania @GWPTweet
13. Iowa Council of Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Initiative @iowayouthphil
14. More For Mission Investing @more4mission
15. Regional Association of Washington Grantmakers @WGrantmakers
16. Southeastern Council of Foundations @secftweets
17. Technology Affinity Group @TAGtech09
18. The Communication Network @bsttrach
19. Transatlantic Community Foundation Network (Canada) @TCFN
20. West Virginia Grantmakers @WVGrantmakers

I’m sure I missed some, so please add a comment to share more funder networks on Twitter!

For more information about funder networks, check out the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and the Council of Foundation’s list of affinity groups.  Grantmakers for Effective Organizations also published a series of reports about the benefits and accomplishments of funder networks.

This list was compiled by (1) including funder networks I am following on Twitter, (2) posting three tweets over one month requesting names of funder networks that tweet (each of which were retweeted), and (3) taking Liz Wilder, Executive Director of Grantmakers Forum of New York, up on her offer to post the query “Who’s tweeting?” on the CEO listserve of the Forum of the Regional Association of Grantmakers (thanks Liz!).

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe!  On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly  © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

90 Foundations That Tweet

This blog post was updated on October 15, 2009 – please read 130 Foundations That Tweet for a complete list!

Below is a list of all the grantmaking foundations I’ve been able to find that are using Twitter. The list includes private, community, family, and corporate funders, as well as a few international foundations. I’ve also included 16 foundation staff who tweet – not necessarily as representatives of their foundations, but their posts often focus on philanthropy and nonprofits. I’m sure there are more out there, so if you notice a foundation or person who should be on the list please let me know! A brief description of how this list was compiled is at the end of the blog.

90 Foundations on Twitter

1. Alaska Community Foundation (Anchorage, AK) @AKCommunity
2. Annie E. Casey Foundation (Baltimore, MD) @AnnieECaseyFndn
3. Anthony Robbins Foundation (San Diego, CA) @AR_foundation
4. Armstrong County Community Foundation (Kittanning, PA) @ACCF
5. Atlantic Philanthropies (New York, NY) @atlantic
6. Baltimore Community Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) @baltcommfdn
7. Black Card Circle Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) @BCCF
8. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle, WA) @gatesfoundation
9. Bridge Builders Community Foundations (Oil City, Pennsylvania) @BBCF
10. The Broad Foundation (Los Angeles, CA) @BroadFoundation
11. Carl B & Florence E. King Foundation (Dallas, TX) @kingfoundation
12. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Stanford, CA) @CarnegieFdn
13. Case Foundation (Washington, DC) @CaseFoundation
14. Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation (Tulsa, OK) @clsff
15. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, MI) @mottfoundation
16. The Cleveland Foundation (Cleveland, OH) @CleveFoundation
17. Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina (Charleston, SC) @GeorgeStevens
18. The Columbus Foundation (Columbus, OH) @colsfoundation
19. The Community Foundation Boulder County (Bolder, CO) @CommFound
20. Community Foundation for Calderdale (Halifax, UK) @CalderdaleFound
21. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) @CFGB
22. The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington (Vancouver, WA) @CFSWW
23. Community Foundation for The Fox Valley Region (Appleton, Wisconsin) @CFFoxValley
24. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) @comfoundbham
25. Community Foundation of Medicine Hat & Southeastern Alberta (Alberta, Canada) @CFMH
26. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (Nashville, TN) @CFMT
27. Community Foundation of South East Kansas (Pittsburg, KS) @CFSEK
28. The Community Foundation of The Lowcountry (Hilton Head Island, SC) @denisekspencer
29. Crossroads Community Foundation (MetroWest area of Massachusetts) @CCFDN
30. The Dale Jr. Foundation (Mooresville, NC) @tdjf
31. Dallas Social Venture Partners (Dallas, TX) @DallasSVP
32. Detroit Foundation (Detroit, MI) @dfoundation
33. Eychaner Foundation (Des Moines, IA) @eychanerfndn
34. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (Kansas City, MO) @KauffmanFDN
35. Flinn Foundation (Phoenix, AZ) @biozonanews
36. GivenGain Foundation (Switzerland) @GivenGain
37. Grand Rapids Community Foundation (Grand Rapids,MI) @GRCommFound
38. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (Cincinnati, OH) @GrCinciFdn
39. Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (Kansas City, MO) @gkccf
40. The Greater Saint John Community Foundation (St. John, New Brunswick) @GSJCF
41. Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice (Venice, FL) @GulfCoastCF
42. Hawaii Community Foundation (Honolulu, HI) @HCFHawaii
43. HealthCare Foundation of Greater Kansas City (Kansas City, MO) @HCF4KC
44. The Hopi Foundation (Kykotsmovi, AZ) @Hopi_Foundation
45. Horizons Foundation (San Francisco, CA) @horizonsfdn
46. Jolkona Foundation (Seattle, WA) @jolkona
47. Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (Topeka, KS) @KSDentalFound
48. Kerstner Foundation (El Segundo, CA) @KerstnerFDN
49. Knight Foundation (Miami, FL) @knightfdn
50. MacArthur Foundation (Chicago, IL) @MacFound
51. Micron Foundation (Boise, ID) @Micron_Giving
52. Milken Foundation (Santa Monica, CA) @Milken
53. The Moyer Foundation (Seattle, WA) @MoyerFoundation
54. Ms Foundation (New York, NY) @outrageousacts
55. NASCAR Foundation (Charlotte, NC) @NASCAR_Foundat
56. New York State Dental Foundation (Albany, NY) @NYSDF
57. One Star Foundation (Austin, TX) @onestarfdn
58. Open Society Institute (New York, NY) @OpenSociety
59. The Orphan Foundation (Southern CA)  @TOF4Orphan
60. Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (Oshkosh, WI) @OACF
61. Peery Foundation (Palo Alto, CA)  @davepeery
62. Pittsburgh Foundation (Pittsburgh, PA) @PittsburghFdn
63. Pride Foundation (Seattle, WA) @PrideFdn
64. Rally Foundation (Sandy Springs, GA) @RallyFoundation
65. Reeve Foundation (Short Hills, NJ) @ReeveFoundation
66. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Princeton, NJ) @rwjf
67. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Media Center (Princeton, NJ) @RWJF_mediacntr
68. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio (Princeton, NJ) @pioneerrwjf
69. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Public Health Portfolio (Princeton, NJ) @publichealthrwjf
70. The SAFE Foundation (United Kingdom) @SAFEFoundation
71. Saint Luke’s Foundation (Cleveland, OH) @saintlukesfdn
72. San Antonio Area Foundation (San Antonio, TX) @SAAFdn
73. Siemens Foundation (Iselin, NJ) @sfoundation
74. Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) @SCFSC
75. Skoll Foundation (Palo Alto, CA) @SkollFoundation
76. Social Venture Partners Boulder County (Boulder, CO) @svpboulder
77. Social Venture Partners Delaware (Wilmington, DE) @SVPDE
78. Social Venture Partners Portland (Portland, OR) @SVPPortland
79. Social Venture Partners San Diego (San Diego, CA) @SVPSanDiego
80. Social Venture Partners Seattle (Seattle, WA) @paulshoeSVP
81. Social Venture Partners Toronto (Toronto, Canada) @SVP_Toronto
82. Sunlight Foundation (Washington, DC) @SunFoundation
83. Taproot Foundation (San Francisco, CA) @taprootfound
84. United Nations Foundation (Washington, DC) @unfoundation
85. The V Foundation (Cary, NC) @TheVFoundation
86. Venture Philanthropy Partners (Washington, DC) @vppartners
87. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Menlo Park, CA) @Hewlett_Found
88. WK Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, MI) @WK_Kellogg_Fdn
89. The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (Memphis, TN) @WFGM_ORG
90. The Women’s Foundation of California (San Francisco, CA) @womensfoundca

16 Foundation Staff on Twitter

Below is a list of some individuals who work at foundations and whose tweets include (but do not necessarily focus on) information about their foundations, nonprofits, and philanthropy.

1. @broksas (Case Foundation – Senior Vice President, Innovation & Investment)
2. @cbeddia (Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina – Marketing & Communications Director)
3. @danielolias (The James Irvine Foundation – Director of Communications and Corporate Secretary)
4. @dkrumlauf (Pierce Family Charitable Foundation – Chief Technologist)
5. @epbro (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation – Communications Director)
6. @jacobcharold (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation – Program Officer)
7. @jasonwagar (Toronto Community Foundation – Donor Services and Marketing Officer)
8. @jessamynlau (Peery Foundation – Program Leader)
9. @michaelsmith68 (Case Foundation – Vice President of Social Innovation)
10. @paultofu (The Cleveland Foundation – Program Officer)
11. @socialcitizen (Case Foundation – Vice President, Social Innovation)
12. @stephaniemca (David and Lucile Packard Foundation – Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Directed Grantmaking)
13. @TiffanyTSmith (Annie E. Casey Foundation – Public Relations & Communications Strategiest)
14. @TinaArnoldi (Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina -Information Technology Officer)
15. @tomkaecf (Annie E. Casey Foundation – Evaluation Manager)
16. @victoriavrana (Venture Philanthropy Partners – Vice President, Communications and Assessment)

This list was compiled by (1) including foundations and foundation staff I am following or have encountered on Twitter, (2) posting four tweets over one month requesting names of foundations and foundation staff on Twitter (each of which were extensively retweeted), (3) searching for “foundation” on Twitter, and (4) checking Twitter profiles and websites as needed to determine if they are grantmaking foundations.  Many nonprofits use the word “foundation” in their name but are not grantmaking organizations so they were not included. Similarly, organizations that raise money to provide funds for a particular organization, such as a hospital or university foundation, were not included.  Additionally, I have chosen not to include United Way organizations on this list, in part because there are so many of them on Twitter (109 at last count!) and also because they are very easy to find.  Just go to the Twitter search page and type: United Way

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly  © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

21 Community Foundations That Tweet

An increasing number of foundations, including community foundations, are now using Twitter.  I’ve found 21 so far, and I am sure there are more out there.  Below is a list, including links to their twitter profiles.

21 Community Foundations That Tweet

Alaska Community Foundation (Anchorage, AK) @AKCommunity
Baltimore Community Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) @baltcommfdn
Bridge Builders Community Foundations (Oil City, Pennsylvania) @BBCF
Community Foundation for Calderdale (Halifax, UK) @CalderdaleFound
Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (Appleton, Wisconsin) @CFFoxValley
Community Foundation of Medicine Hat & Southeastern Alberta (Alberta, Canada) @CFMH
Community Foundation of South East Kansas (Pittsburg, KS) @CFSEK
Crossroads Community Foundation (MetroWest area of Massachusetts) @CCFDN
Grand Rapids Community Foundation (Grand Rapids,MI) @GRCommFound
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (Kansas City, MO) @gkccf
Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice (Venice, FL) @GulfCoastCF
Horizons Foundation (San Francisco, CA) @horizonsfdn
Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) @OACF
Pittsburgh Foundation (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) @PittsburghFdn
The Cleveland Foundation (Cleveland, Ohio) @CleveFoundation
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) @CFGB
The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington (Vancouver, WA) @CFSWW
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) @comfoundbham
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (Nashville, TN) @CFMT
The Community Foundation Boulder County (Bolder, CO) @CommFound
The Greater Saint John Community Foundation (St. John, New Brunswick) @GSJCF

Community Foundations’ Experiences With Twitter

Trip Sullivan, Communications Officer at the Baltimore Community Foundation (@baltcommfd), described to me how their foundation got started with Twitter:

There had been a lot of buzz over twitter, facebook and blogging among our 40-person staff, and so our Director of Communications tasked us to create a Social Networking Workgroup and invite all those interested to become involved. We’ve had between 6-8 people at meetings, and all departments have been represented.

Anyone in their workgroup is welcome to tweet, and they agreed to a set of guidelines they follow:

All Baltimore Community Foundation Tweets should:

• be timely
• spark conversation
• NOT present BCF or a fellow organization in a negative light
• be relevant to BCF’s constituency, pertaining specifically to BCF’s: path, donors, grantees, initiatives, or the philanthropic field

Paul Putman (@paultofu), a program officer at The Cleveland Foundation, shared that one of the main reasons he uses Twitter is “to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening, both nationally in terms of philanthropy and nonprofit trends and news, as well as locally in terms of following specific nonprofits and people.” He also describes some of the dilemmas he encounters, such as:

• As a program officer, having to walk a line between tweeting as an individual, while  still being associated with a foundation
• Never knowing if Twitter followers truly value his contributions, or if they’re just saying that they value them to make him feel good about them, and in turn, their organizations
• Concerns about tweeting about individual grantees, as he doesn’t want to show favoritism or mislead anyone.

Community Foundations Group on LinkedIn

Lastly, in my search for community foundations that tweet I came across one interesting social media resource for community foundations that I wanted to pass along: Community Foundation Staff Group on LinkedIn “a professional network of community foundation staff throughout the world. Its purpose is to support the connection and networking of peers.”

Please share your comments and experiences with Twitter. If you are a community foundation that tweets and you aren’t on the list (or you know of one), let me know.  As the list grows I will update it.

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly  © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

Starting A Consulting Business? 15 Things To Do Right Now

In my last post, “So, You Want To Be A Philanthropy Consultant?” I offered 5 questions to consider if you want to become a philanthropy consultant.  No matter what your industry, if you want to take the consulting plunge, here are 15 practical things you should do right away:

1. Open a business checking account – This is really quite simple. If you like your current bank, walk in and explain that you’d like to open a business checking account. Deposit all of your business income into this account, and write all business-related checks out of this account. This will make for much cleaner bookkeeping and tracking of business income and expenses.  You might also consider a business savings account. I used this to set aside money for taxes (every time I deposited a check, 30% was transferred into my business savings account to save for my quarterly tax payments)
2. Dedicate one of your credit cards for business expenses only – Similar to having a checking account dedicated to your business, you should have a credit card for all business-related credit card purchases to keep them separate from your personal purchases.  You can use an existing card, and simply declare that starting on X date, this card is dedicated to your business.
3. Talk to an accountant, preferably someone with small businesses experience - An accountant can help you understand things like how to pay quarterly taxes, how to structure your business (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, S Corporation), and what business expenses are deductible.
4. Talk to an insurance agent or broker – There are several types of insurance you will want to have for yourself: health insurance, disability insurance, and general liability insurance are among the most common.
5. Make yourself available online – If you google your name, what comes up? It should be a description of your consulting services, complete with information on how to contact you. Even if you don’t want to spend the money just yet on a website, make sure that you have a web presence. This can be done by setting up a profile on LinkedIn and ZoomInfo, and adding yourself to online consultant directories.
6. Print business cards – Don’t worry if you haven’t figured out your business name and business identity. For now, get some basic business cards inexpensively printed up with “Your Name, Consultant” and your contact information. You need to be able to hand them out at meetings with potential clients and networking events.
7. Set up a “safe” mailing address – This is important if your office will be at home. Unless you feel completely comfortable sharing your home address with complete strangers on your business cards, website, letterhead, and social networking media sites, I strongly suggest getting a mailbox at your local UPS Store or post office.  This will also come in handy if you live in an area where FedEx packages cannot safely be left at your doorstep.
8. Set up a business phone line - If there is any chance that your five year old might answer the phone, or your teenage kids could be heard screaming in the background, don’t use your home phone for your consulting business.  You could use your cell phone, but remember once you start giving out your cell phone you can’t take it back.  Many clients will call you in the evening or on the weekends simply to leave a message, because they will assume you have a professional office and they won’t be bothering you in off hours.
9. Learn everything you need to know about consulting from Alan Weiss. I recommend Alan’s book “Million Dollar Consulting” to everyone who wants to start a consulting business. He’s written many other books, and offers a variety of other services: coaching, workshops, webinars, etc. You can learn more at his website.
10. Set up a dedicated office space - This could be in your home, or you could rent office space. If your office is at home, make every effort to create a space that is just for your work, and does not double as the dining room, living room, or  your bedroom. It’s important to be able to close a door and not be reminded of work when you are trying to relax.
11. Tell everyone you know that you are starting a consulting practice, and that you are looking for projects.  People can’t hire you if they don’t know you started consulting! Be as specific as possible regarding the services you offer, the types of projects you are looking for, and who your ideal clients are.
12. Learn everything you need to know about marketing your consulting business from Robert Middleton and Action Plan Marketing. Action Plan Marketing specializes in helping professional services business attract more clients. His website is full of useful information, much of it free.
13. Find an anchor client – Easier said than done, it is tremendously helpful to find an “anchor” client. An anchor client provides you with about 25% of your business revenue for several years, so that you are at least guaranteed you can pay your rent or mortgage! When I got started, I was fortunate to be retained on repeat consulting engagements with the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation for 5 years.
14. Join a consultants group – This is a great way to learn from other consultants and find consultants to partner with on larger projects. There might be a local consultants group in your area and industry. The best way to find out is to ask other consultants.  Philanthropy consultants can also join the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers.
15. Network, network, network - You never know where your next project will come from, so it is important to be in regular contact with a range of potential clients. Set a goal for the number of people you want to set up phone calls or lunch meetings with each week. Don’t stop networking when you have plenty of work – the best time to network is when you are busy, and you can share all the great things you are doing for other organizations.

Good luck with your consulting practice and let me know if you have other tips to share. If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly  © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

So, You Want To Be A Philanthropy Consultant?

About once a week someone emails me to learn more about philanthropy consulting: foundation staff looking for their next career move (or more recently, anticipating a layoff), business executives tired of an emotionally unfulfilling career who seek to make a difference in the world, and recent college graduates who stumble upon my website and think what I do sounds really cool (it is!).

Each asks for 30-60 minutes of my time – preferably that week – to help them think through their options. It would be great to have time to talk with them all. But alas, I don’t.  Instead, I’m writing this blog to pass along some insight that I have developed in 10 years of consulting to foundations and nonprofits.

To consult or not to consult

In many ways, consulting is one of the easiest and least expensive businesses to start.  Assuming you have the expertise and contacts, all you really need is a desk, computer, phone, high-speed internet, and a printer – and you probably have all that at home already.  But being an entrepreneur and consultant isn’t for everyone.

5 questions to ask yourself before you take the plunge

1. Are you organized and disciplined about your time? As a solo practioner, you wear all the hats: CEO, consultant, marketer, business developer, proposal writer, bookkeeper, administrative assistant, and office manager to name a few. You will also be managing multiple projects, clients, deliverables, and deadlines.
2. Are you comfortable working alone, or do you need to be around lots of people? People often ask if I’m lonely working in my home office. The reality is I’m around people all the time:  in person and phone meetings with our clients and subcontractors, networking, and conducting interviews and focus groups for our clients. I enjoy the balance of working alone and with others on projects. But there are options if you really need the support and buzz of people around you:  start your consulting business with a partner or find office space with other small business owners.
3. Can you support yourself for the next six months if your business is slow to take off? This is a tough economy in which to start a consulting practice.  Most foundations are reducing administrative expenditures and grantmaking. You will be much better off if you have savings to live on, or a partner who can support you. Another option is to work part time and keep your benefits while you grow your consulting practice.
4. Do you know the type of consulting work you really want to do (and equally important, what you don’t want to do)? Foundations and nonprofits hire consultants to help them with all kinds of things, such as strategic planning, program development, environmental scans, fundraising, communications, needs assessments, foundation management, facilitation, next generation planning, and executive coaching.  Determine what you are most excited about (and qualified to do). Get clear on what you really don’t enjoy and don’t want to do, and learn how to say “no” (even when money is tight).
5. Do you have the experience and contacts to advise foundations, donors or nonprofits? No matter how much experience you have in your industry, if you don’t have experience working in philanthropy or with nonprofits, you need to get that experience – through employment or volunteering – so that you understand the industry you hope to help.  If you just graduated from college, you really need more “real-world” experience of any kind before you start consulting.  And just because you were a fabulous program officer or nonprofit executive, doesn’t mean you will be a great consultant. One way to gain experience as a consultant without taking the plunge and starting your own business is to subcontract to another consultant. That’s how I got started, and it helped confirm that I love both philanthropy and consulting.

7 resources to learn more about consulting
Check out these resources about consulting and working in the nonprofit sector:

Million Dollar Consulting, by Alan Weiss and the many resources available on his website.

National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers – A great way to connect with and learn from other consultants. You can join as an associate member if you are new to consulting.

Nonprofit Consulting Review (Charity Channel)

How To Start a Consulting Business (Entrepreneur)

What to Expect When Switching To The Nonprofit Sector (NYT article)

Starting and Building a Career in the Nonprofit World (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for Sector-Switchers

I’m passionate about the consulting and evaluation services we provide our foundation and nonprofit clients. Philanthropy and nonprofit consulting can be a fabulous career if it’s right for you. Good luck and keep me posted!

If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe! On Twitter? Follow Philanthropy411 at @Philanthropy411

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly  © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2009

Council on Foundations: Smaller But Determined Crowd

This blog was originally posted May 1, 2009 on the Tactical Philanthropy Blog

From May 2 – May 7, the Tactical Philanthropy Blog Team will be covering the Council on Foundations conference from Atlanta. The individual blog team members represent a range of opinions and have been given no editorial directions. The opinions expressed in these posts do not necessarily represent the opinions of Sean Stannard-Stockton. By Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Putnam Community Investment Consulting.

One thing I appreciate most about philanthropy conferences is the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, friends, and clients who live in other parts of the country, and who I don’t get to see often. In preparation for the Council on Foundations conference (taking place this week in Atlanta) I reached out to 52 foundation colleagues and friends in hopes they might be attending and we could get together. Forty-three of them replied telling me they would not be attending this year (83%). Reduced travel budget due to the economy was the only reason cited (although most did not tell me why they weren’t attending). Here’s what a few of them had to say:

“We have no discretionary funds for conferences that require travel at this time.”

“Sorry, we are on travel moratorium for awhile.”

“I will not be at COF. I hope it is a good conference, and enough folks are able to attend. These conferences are getting harder to budget.”

I find it a bit odd that as a consultant I can afford to send myself (representing the Horizons Foundation, whose board I serve on), but a foundation with $1.5 billion in assets cannot afford to send a single staff person. However, I know that all foundations are grappling with how to meet increased demand with drastically fewer resources. On a positive note, I learned that one large national foundation is sending a delegation of 20 staff.

Still, I am looking forward to a smaller crowd. I figure anyone who prioritized this conference in their budget is as determined as I am to learn, share, and return home with renewed hope and new ideas. I hope this will be an opportunity to truly connect and talk with colleagues, rather than wave across the hallways in a mad rush to the next session.

It’s a critical time for philanthropy to come together and learn how the economy is impacting the work of our foundations and grantees, how we are responding to the recession and the swine flu outbreak, and how we can leverage stimulus dollars for greater impact. I’m excited to attend sessions such as “Helping Nonprofits Through Economic Tough Times”, “Change or Die: Is Innovation the Right Tool for These Tough Times?”, “Disaster Grantmaking: Preparing for the Future”, “Fiduciary Responsibility in a Post-Madoff Environment”, and “Helping Communities Through Tough Economic Times”, as well as hearing from Melody Barnes, Director of The White House Domestic Policy Council.

Landing in Atlanta now…let the conference begin!

Kris Putnam-Walkerly is President of Putnam Community Investment Consulting and author of the Philanthropy411 blog. You can follow her on Twitter @Philanthropy411