20 Social Media Resources for Nonprofits

I recently gave a keynote speech on “Using Social Media to Enhance Nonprofit Learning” at a conference sponsored by The California Wellness Foundation.  I included a list of resources for nonprofits, thought I would share them with you here.  I know there are many others out there, so please add a comment and tell me about the resources most useful to you!

“How To” Guides for Using Social Media

• Twitter Jumpstart – The Complete Guide for Small Non-Profits – Everything you need to know about using Twitter for your nonprofit, by John Haydon
• Case Foundation Social Media Tutorials – The Case Foundation and its talented staff live and breathe social media, and their website is a wealth of resources. These tutorials include the basics, effective blogging, and using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
• The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide – This guide walks  you through a step-by-step process to decide what social media channels make sense for your organization, and it includes a consultant directory if you want to hire someone to help you implement your strategy.
• Social Media Strategy 101 – A very detailed slide show about developing and implementing your social media strategy
• Nonprofits on Facebook – This is a Facebook page designed to help nonprofits “harness the power of Facebook and bring positive change to the world”
• YouTube: A Step by Step Guide for Nonprofits - This is a 26 minute video tutorial by Marc Osten
• The Networked Nonprofit – A new book by Alison Fine and Beth Kanter

Blogs to Follow to Learn More About Social Media and Nonprofits

• Beth’s Blog – Beth Kanter delivers great blog posts every day, and is one of the leading experts on nonprofit use of social media
• John Haydon – Lots of useful and fun tips, strategies and ideas about using social media for your nonprofit.
• Mashable – “The top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture,” there is a ton to learn about social media from this site alone.
• Case Foundation – As described above, the Case Foundation is an innovator in social media, including sponsoring and then evaluating the America’s Giving Challenge.
• Open Road Advisors/Larry Blumenthal – Larry previously worked at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, helping them to implement their social media strategy, and his blog is designed to help foundations and nonprofits effectively use social media. One of my favorite posts is “Tips on Connecting With Foundations Via Social Media“
• Nonprofit Tech 2.0:  A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits - Includes some practical posts, such as “10 Blog Content Ideas for Nonprofits“

Finding Nonprofits and Foundations That Use Social Media

• GlassPockets – The Foundation Center has created a website that lists social media channels used by foundations, including Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, YouTube. It is continuously updated by foundations that want to be transparent about their grantmaking.
• 130 Foundations That Tweet – I created this list about a year ago.  There are many more foundations on Twitter now besides this original group of 130, but this is a good list to get you started.
• Case Foundation’s List of  Funders That Tweet – You can follow this list for more foundations on Twitter
• 50 Young Nonprofit Influencers You Should Be Following On Twitter - From Rosetta Thurman

Social Media Policy

• 10 Must Haves For Your Social Media Policy – Useful tips from Mashable
• Creating A Social Media Policy For Your Nonprofit - From Wild Apricot, this post includes many links for other social media policy resources
• Air Force Blog Response – I first saw this on Beth Kanter’s blog, and I admit my first reaction was to roll my eyes. Then I actually read this and thought it was brilliant!  A clear, simple approach to responding to blog posts that empowers the individual to make smart choices.

Research on Nonprofit Use of Social Media

• Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report – The  Nonprofit Technology Network published this in 2010, and it includes interesting findings about how nonprofits are using social media.

What resources have you found most useful for your nonprofit or foundation? Please share them in the comments below!

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

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2010.

Blog Team Coverage of the Council on Foundations Conference

Philanthropy411, in partnership with the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, recently covered the 2010 Council on Foundations conference with the help of a blog team.  This is a list of all posts published for this event.

1. Kick off of Council on Foundations Blog Team, posted by Sterling Speirn, President and CEO, WK Kellogg Foundation
2. Thoughts from the Pre-Conference Institute for Trustees & CEOs: “Insights for Philanthropic Leadership,” posted by Richard Woo, CEO, Russell Family Foundation
3. A Lesson on Managing Risk, posted by Raymond Colmenar, Senior Program Officer, The California Endowment
4. The New Meditation, posted by Richard Woo, CEO, Russell Family Foundation
5. Nits Make Lice, posted by Mike Roberts, President, First Nations Development Institute
6. Walking Around Philanthropy, posted by Mary Galeti, Vice Chair of the Tecovas Foundation
7. 5 Things We Know, But Keep Forgetting, posted by Crystal Hayling, Winner of the 2010 James A Joseph Award from the Association of Black Foundation Executives
8. Listen, posted by Aleesha Towns-Bain, Program Associate, Rasmuson Foundation
9. Health, Equity, and Growth, posted by Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink
10. On Fire, posted by Rebecca Arno, Vice President of Communications, Denver Foundation
11. Choices, Choices, posted by Kim St. John-Stevenson, Communications Officer, Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland
12. So Many Great Sessions, So Little Time to Blog, posted by Sterling Speirn, President and CEO, WK Kellogg Foundation
13. Thoughts on a Session – Social Justice: From Here to 2030, posted by Teri Behrens, Editor, The Foundation Review
14. Charity AND Change; Social Innovation AND Social Justice, posted by Paul Connolly, Senior Vice President and Director, TCC Group, and member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
15. Grantmaking, Tools, and the Long View, posted by Mary Galeti, Vice Chai, Tecovas Foundation
16. Happy Birthday AAPIP!, posted by Richard Woo, CEO, Russell Family Foundation
17. Standing Ovation Generation, posted by Jacob Harold, Program Officer in Philanthropy, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
18. Social Justice Philanthropy, posted by Mike Shaw, Program Assistant, Annie E. Casey Foundation
19. The “Yes-And-And” Strategy: Equity as the 21st Century Growth Model, posted by Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink
20. Celebrating AAPIP’s 20th Anniversary Year-round, posted by Sokunthea Sa Chhabra, Director of Interactive Communications, Case Foundation
21. Information and Power – Thoughts on Al Gore’s Speech, posted by Kathleen Reich, Program Officer, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
22. Is Institutional Philanthropy Structured to Support Successful Social Change?, posted by Lee Draper, Chair, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and CEO of the Draper Consulting Group
23. Ah-ha Moments and Social Media (aka Why YOU Can and Should Use Social Media!), posted by Kim St. John-Stevenson, Communications Officer, Saint Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland
24. Wish You Were Here…Al Gore’s Keynote Speech on Climate Change, the Imperative of Civic Engagement, and Philanthropy’s Opportunity to Play a Role in Shaping the Future, posted by Lee Draper, Chair, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and CEO of the Draper Consulting Group
25. Blowing Up The Conference Model, posted by Sean Stannard-Stockton, CEO of Tactical Philanthropy Advisors
26. Where Are the Arts?, posted by Lee Draper, Chair, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and CEO, Draper Consulting Group
27. Living History: Amanche & Sand Creek, posted by Richard Woo, CEO, Russell Family Foundation
28. Learn Essential Skills and Strategies in Philanthropy, posted by Cole Wilbur, Trustee of the The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Steering Committee Member, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
29. Memorable Mentions, posted by Richard Woo, CEO of the Russell Family Foundation
30. Afraid of Losing Control with Social Media? Guess What, You’ve Already Lost it!, posted by Sokunthea Sa Chhabra, Director of Interactive Communications at the Case Foundation
31. A Foundation’s Freedom – And its Responsibility, posted by Kristin Ivie, Program Manager of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation
32. What’s Next for Diversity in Philanthropy?, posted by Henry A. J. Ramos, Principal at Mauer Kunst Consulting and member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
33. Sitting at the Intersection: Affinity, posted by Colin Lacon, President and CEO, Northern California Grantmakers
34. Myth Busting, posted by Rebecca Arno, Vice President of Communications at the Denver Foundation
35. Becoming Masters of the Brand of Ourselves, posted by Mary Galeti, Vice Chair of the Tecovas Foundation
36. Social Justice: Bringing it Home, posted by Henry A. J. Ramos, Principal at Mauer Kunst Consulting and member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
37. 5 + 3 Ain’t Small Change, posted by Colin Lacon, President and CEO, Northern California Grantmakers
38. Respect & Resolve, posted by Richard Woo, CEO of the Russell Family Foundation
39. Racial Justice is Everybody’s Issue, posted by Rosetta Thurman, President of Thurman Consulting
40. In Search of the Mind-Blowing Conference Model, posted by Philanthropy411′s very own Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President of Putnam Community Investment Consulting, and Vice Chair of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
41. Learn Essential Skills and Strategies in Philanthropy, posted by Cole Wilbur, Trustee of the The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Steering Committee Member, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers

Special thanks to the Council on Foundations for their support of our Blog Team!  Check out their blog, re: Philanthropy, to read about their blog coverage of the conference and to stay abreast of the field!

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

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2010.

What Do You Want To Learn From Council on Foundations Conference?

As you know, the Philanthropy411 Blog Team will be blogging from the Council on Foundations conference, starting with the pre-conference sessions this Saturday, April 24th. What do you want to learn? Write a comment below and tell us what you are most interested in learning. I can’t promise that our Blog Team will address all of your questions, but it will help to know what our readers want to learn.

I asked this question on some of my LinkedIn Groups, and here are a few of the requests:

Larry Blumenthal of Open Road Advisors asks:

I would love to learn of any signs that social media tools and principles are being embraced – especially by program staff. Are organizations continuing to experiment with crowd-sourcing such as prizes, idea competitions, forums, Wikis and other ways of doing program work by inviting broad input early and often? Are there other innovations going on in that arena? There are some great sessions on the social innovation track that deal with this. I’m sure it will be part of Al Gore’s keynote, as well.

Consultant and blogger Marion Conway wonders:

Something I’d like to read about is trends in grantmaking. I think that there are two trends in opposite directions…It seems that some foundations are becoming more demanding – more complicated grant applications, increased evaluation requirements and less money to grant. Other foundations seem to be streamlining with less red tape, using the generic online application, allowing staff to make some grants rather than just the Board opening the opportunity for grants throughout the year rather than once or twice. Is there anything to this? I’d like to hear about it.

And Martha Paschal, Managing Director of Capital Markets at Malachite LLC, asks:

I’d like to find out how many foundations are gearing up to make social and mission related investments as opposed to straight grants, given what’s going on with Gates’ announcement at the end of last year.

What do you want to learn?

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

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2010.

67 Recommended Philanthropy Speakers

A few weeks ago, Sean Stannard-Stockton of Tactical Philanthropy posted a blog asking:

Who are the most amazing, dynamic and engaging speakers you’ve ever seen talk about philanthropy, the social sector and social capital markets?

Many people offered up their favorite speakers on the topic of nonprofits and philanthropy.  Kyle Reis of the Ford Foundation (and @zazoomzimminy) and Sean suggested that I organize the list with links to all the speakers’ bios.  Here is the list below, including the speaker’s name, title, organization, link to their bio (or the organization they represent if I couldn’t find their bio online), the name of the person who recommended them, and any comments about the speaker that were offered.  Of course, if you have more suggestions feel free to add them to the comments!

1. Bsis Adeleye-Fayemi, Executive Director of Africa Women’s Development Fund.  Recommended by Jennifer Astone.
2. Akwasi Aidoo, Executive Director of Trust Africa.  Recommended by Jennifer Astone.
3. Lynda Barry, Cartoonist.  Recommended by Marcia Stepanek.
4. Bono, Musician.  Recommended by Jesse W.
5. Brian Bordainick, The Founder of 9th Ward Field of Dreams. Recommended by Teju Ravilochan:  “(Brian) gave a speech that brought every person at The Feast Conference in New York City to their feet, recounting the incredible story of how he raised over $1 million in post-Katrina New Orleans.”
6. June Bradham, President of Corporate DevelopMint.  Recommended by Rachel Hutchisson:  “THE best and the author of What Nonprofit Boards Really Want, published by Wiley in 2009.”
7. Antony Bugg-Levine, Managing Director, the Rockefeller Foundation.  Recommended by Jesse W.
8. Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer for Harlem Children’s Zone.  Recommended by Kyle Reis:  “Geoffrey Canada of Harlem Children’s Zone was pretty great talking about how philanthropy sometimes undermines the work it is trying to support.” Also recommended by Leslie:  “and double underscore to Geoff Canada nods – Just last nite I told someone about his “accidents of history” speech at IS conference in Detroit- goosebumps”; and by Paul S:  “I like many of the suggestions, especially Allison Fine and Geoff Canada – both outstanding.”
9. Jim Collins, Author of “Built To Last,” “Good To Great,” and “How The Mighty Fall.”  Recommended by Jesse W.
10. Patrick  Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  Recommended by Paul S:  “Sonal Shah, Michele Jolin, and Patrick Corvington are the administration’s point people and all 3 have deep understanding of philanthropy and change.”
11. Martin Cowling, CEO of People First -Total Solutions.  Recommended by Lori Tsuruda:  (Martin speaks) “on the important contributions of volunteers and what we can do to maximize these”.
12. Leslie Crutchfield, Author of “Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits.” Recommended by Jesse W.
13. Peter  Dalglish, Founder, Street Kids International.  Recommended by Katherine:  “I have heard him speak 2 times (one specifically on philanthropy) at different conferences and everyone felt extremely motivated afterwards.”
14. Cheryl  Dorsey, President, Echoing Green.  Recommended by Paul S:  “Cheryl Dorsey from Echoing Green is a genius and is the ultimate expert on seed capital funding for nonprofits.”
15. Robert Egger, Founder, DC Central Kitchen.  Recommended by Adin Miller and Jesse W.
16. Jed Emerson, Founder, Blendedvalue.org.  Recommended by Leslie:  “absolutely, positively never boring” and by Kris Putnam-Walkerly:  “Also agree with the recommendation for Jed Emerson”.
17. Allison Fine, Author and Speaker. Recommended by Elizabeth Miller:  “I highly recommend Allison Fine (www.allisonfine.com). She is a really great speaker on issues related to social and political change and technology. She gets it, gives great presentations and can explain tough issues to a wide range audience.” Also recommended by Geoff Livingston:  “Allison Fine, no question” and by Paul S.
18. Matt Flannery, Co-founder of Kiva.  Recommended by Jesse W.
19. Joel Fleishman, Professor of Law and Public Policy Sciences, Duke University.  Recommended by Adin Miller.
20. Peter Frumkin, Professor of Public Affairs and Director, RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service.  Recommended by Leslie:  “ultra dry wit gives edge to his academic mastery of strategic philanthropy.”
21. Fernando Frydmann, Director, Centro de Management Social.  Recommended by David Velasco.
22. Katherine Fulton, Partner of Monitor Group, and president of the Monitor Institute.  Recommended by Kyle Reis:  “And, of course, Katherine Fulton’s TedTalk is inspiring.”
23. Tracy Gary, Philanthropic and Legacy Advisor, Inspired Legacies. Recommended by Beth Carls.
24. Claire Gaudiani, Author, “The Greater Good.”  Recommended by Jay Browning:  “She gives an amazing historical perspective of philanthropy and where it came from and how to influence it today. I strongly suggest reading ‘The Greater Good’.
25. Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink.  Recommended by Kris Putnam-Walkerly: “Exceptionally inspiring, and always thought provoking and right on point.”
26. Kay Sprinkel Grace, Organizational Consultant.  Recommended by Erick Swenson:  “Kay Sprinkel Grace without doubt is perhaps one of the most motivating speaker on the issues of philanthropy and not-for-profit leadership. Kay combines knowledge with experience and more than a dash of class in all I’ve seen her do in many, many years. She is not a flash-in-the-pan nonprofit professional promoting the latest fad or fancy. What she has to say is tried and true and, yet, is always fresh and welcome as a bright Spring morning. If looking for an ideal conference speaker, allow me to paraphrase McGarrett’s line to Williams, “Book ‘er Danno!”
27. Andy Goodman,  Author, Speaker and Consultant.  Recommended by Rich Polt:  “Someone who has not appeared on this list yet (I’m shocked actually) is Andy Goodman, He is one of the most entertaining and enjoying speakers I’ve seen on the topic of effective communications in the nonprofit sector. He makes you feel like you’re at a stand-up comedy performance, and then you remember this is actually work-related!” Also recommended by Sean Stannard-Stockton:  “Andy Goodman is the best speaker I’ve seen on any topic. Amazing guy!”
28. Gonzalo Ibarra.  Recommended by David Velasco.
29. Jessica Jackley, Co-founder of Kiva.org.  Recommended by David Simms:  “(Jessica) brings great passion and energy to her talks. She will keep the audience on their toes and wide awake.”
30. Michele Jolin, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for the Domestic Policy Council at the White House.  Recommended by Paul S.
31. Kevin Jones, Founding Principal of Good Capital.  Recommended by Jesse W.
32. Dean Kamen,  Founder, DEKA Research and Development Corporation.  Recommended by Laurie, eFlirt Expert: “Dean Kamen was great – inspirational towards educating the youth of our country to get engaged.”
33. Beth Kanter, Trainer, Coach and Consultant to Non-profits.  Recommended by Kyle Reis:  “Beth Kanter is awesome on the topic of social media and nonprofits.”
34. Mark Kramer, Founder and Managing Director, FSG Social Impact Advisors. Recommended by Adin Miller.
35. Gara LaMarche, President and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies.  Recommended by Paul S:  “In the thoughtful and provacative column, I’d add Mario Morino from VPP and Gara LaMarche from Atlantic Philanthropies.”
36. Leslie Lenkowsky, Clinical Professor and Director, Graduate Programs, Center on Philanthropy.  Recommended by Ann Fitzgerald:  “I’d vote for Leslie Lenkowsky, Professor of Public Affairs and Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University. He’s a great speaker and challenges the conventional wisdom in the philanthropic world. He is able to give insights from his practical experience in both government and the nonprofit sector combined with his knowledge of latest academic research.”
37. Geoff Livingston, Author and Co-Founder, Zoetica. Recommended by Kyle Reis:  “(Geoff) is awesome on the topic of social media and nonprofits.”
38. Heather McLeod, Author of “Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits.”  Recommended by Jesse W.
39. Adam Meyerson, President, The Philanthropy Roundtable.  Recommended by Ann Fitzgerald:  “He’s very knowledgeable regarding donor intent and the preservation of philanthropic freedom.”
40. Mario Morino, Co-founder and Chairman of Venture Philanthropy Partners and Chairman of the Morino Institute.  Recommended by Paul S:  “In the thoughtful and provacative column, I’d add Mario Morino from VPP and Gara LaMarche from Atlantic Philanthropies.”
41. Greg Mortenson, Author and Executive Director,  Central Asia Institute.  Recommended by Marcia Stepanke.
42. Liz Murray, Speaker.  Recommended by:  “Liz Murray – if you’re ready to get emotional.”
43. Nicholas Negroponte, Founder and Chairman of the One Laptop per Child non-profit organization.  Recommended by Erin Prefontaine:  “AMAZING!”
44. Dan Nigito, Author and Chairman & CEO of Market Street Financial Advisors, LLC.  Recommended by sbrown@statetheatre:  “Dan Nigito gets my vote. I’ve heard him speak twice..his topic was:  It’s My Money and I’ll Give When I Want To!”. He was riveting..and funny.”
45. Jacqueline Novogratz,  Author & Founder and CEO of the Acumen Fund.  Recommended by Jesse W and by Marcia Stepanke.
46. George Overholser, Founder and Managing Director, NFF Capital Partners.  Recommended by Paul S:  “George Overholser from NFF Capital Partners is the evangelist of social investing and growth capital and he is both brilliant and engaging – great metaphors and stories to illustrate his points.”
47. Dan Pallotta, Author, “Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential.”  Recommended by Kathleen:  “Dan Pallotta because he challenges conventional wisdom, questions existing paradigms and really makes you think about how best to do good.”
48. John Pentland.  Recommended by Amy:  “John Pentland is a remarkable speaker. He often speaks on social justice issues and has a way of making real issues seem that much closer to home.”
49. Paul Polak, Founder of International Development Enterprises (IDE).  Recommended by Teju Ravilochan:  “(IDE) has enabled 19 million farmers to lift themselves Out of Poverty. He’s a self-identified “trouble-maker”, unbelievably knowledgeable, and also hilarious.”
50. Tony Proscio, Consultant.  Recommended by Kyle Reis:  “Tony Proscio was great in his talk on using clear language in philanthropy.”
51. Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President, Putnam Community Investment Consulting.  Recommended by Lauren Kay:  “Kris served as co-presenter for a webinar we did on social networking tools for philanthropy consultants. She was passionate and knowledgeable about the topic and she has an engaging and comfortable style. Kris also had great real-world experience to share. The webinar was very well received and a majority of participants said they were interested in attending a more advanced follow-up session.”
52. Mando Rayo, Director, Hands On Central Texas.  Recommended by Robert Egger:  “quick shouts for some new folks on the scene–Mando Rayo (TX) on New Americans and Philanthropy.”
53. Alec Ross, Senior Adviser on Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Recommended by Marcia Stepanke:  “Alec Ross (State Dept) also is pretty good, about social media for social change…”
54. Dr. Robert Ross, President & CEO, The California Endowment.  Recommended by Lauren Kay:  “I also heard Dr. Robert Ross of the California Endowment speak in Los Angeles recently about grantmaking and advocacy. He was most eloquent and inspiring.”
55. Holly Ross, Executive Director, NTEN.org.  Recommended by Larry Blumenthal:  “And I’ll add Holly Ross, executive director of NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network. Holly knows how to present technology (including social media) and its related issues in understandable and useful terms.”
56. Jason Sabo, Senior Vice President of Public Policy United Ways Texas.  Recommended by Robert Egger:  “quick shouts for some new folks on the scene–Jason Sabo (TX) on Nonprofit Political Engagement.”
57. Paul Schervish, Director, Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, Boston College.  Recommended by Leslie:  “(Paul) lyrically portrays the donor as a character who develops over time, somehow links Luke Skywalker (Star Wars) to the dry transfer-of-wealth stuff.”
58. William Schrambra, Director, Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal and Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C.  Recommended by Ann Fitzgerald:  “He hosts regular discussions in Washington, DC on many topics regarding philanthropy and encourages lively debate from all sides.”
59. Sonal Shah, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation.  Recommended by Paul S:  “(Sonal has a) deep understanding of philanthropy and change.”
60. Clay Shirky, Author, “Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.”  Recommended by Marcia Stepanke.
61. Billy Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Share Our Strength.  Recommended by Leslie:  “stirs the spirit.”
62. Sterling K. Speirn, President and CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  Recommended by Adin Miller.
63. Bill Strickland, President and CEO of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and Bidwell Training Center, Inc.  Recommended by Lori Tsuruda:  “Bill Strickland, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (Pittsburgh), a MacArthur genius fellow, on social entrepreneurship with high expectations for participants.” Also recommended by Rachel Hutchisson, and by Larry Blumenthal who says:  “I’ll add another vote for Bill Strickland. Great storyteller.” And lastly by Kate Cochran who says, “I’d also vote for Bill Strickland and Geoffrey Canada, whose passion and clarity remind us all why we are working in these areas.”
    
64. Chet Tchozewski, President,Global Greengrants Fund.  Recommended by Jennifer Astone.
65. Rosetta Thurman, Writer, Speaker, Professor and Consultant.  Recommended by Robert Egger:  “quick shouts for some new folks on the scene–Rosetta Thurman (DC) on the changing faces of philanthropy.”
66. Tom Tierney, Chairman and Co-founder, The Bridgespan Group.  Recommended by Kate Cochran:  “Tom Tierney of Bridgespan has a marvelous way of sounding both brilliant and self-deprecating at the same time–and a good macro view of the sector today.”
67. John Wood, Founder and Board Chair of Room to Read.  Recommended by  CVNL Marin: “John Wood, author of “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” and founder of Room to Read. Not only is he inspiring, but the progress he has made is incredible… not to mention, he’s quite humorous as well.” Also recommended by Rachel Hutchisson.

In addition, Jay Frost of Frost on Fundraising reminded us “You can find over 700 speakers in the one and only Professional Speakers on Philanthropy list.”

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

Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2010.

Your Team at the Council on Foundations Conference

I’m thrilled to announce the 2010 Philanthropy411 Blog Team for the Council on Foundations annual conference in Denver! This year’s  Team is organized in collaboration with the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers.

We’ll be blogging from Denver starting with the pre-conference sessions on Saturday, April 24th.

As many of you know, Sean Stannard-Stockton’s Tactical Philanthropy Blog Team covered the conference in 2009 and 2008.  This year Sean has generously passed the blog baton to Philanthropy411. The Council on Foundations will also be blogging from the conference, so definitely check out their conference posts as well. You can also follow the conference by using the hashtag #cof10.

Here is your Philanthropy411 Blog Team:

Rebecca Arno
Vice President of Communications, Denver Foundation
Board Member, Colorado Nonprofit Association
Board Member, The Communications Network;      Twitter: @tdfcommunity

Teri Behrens
Editor of The Foundation Review
Adjunct Faculty, School for Public and Nonprofit Administration, Grand Valley State University

Angela Glover Blackwell
Founder and CEO, PolicyLink
Co-author of Uncommon Common Ground: Race and America’s Future
Commissioner, RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America

Ray Colmenar
Senior Program Officer, The California Endowment
Vice Chair, Zero Divide

Paul M. Connolly
Senior Vice President and Director, TCC Group;  Twitter: @tccgroup
Author, Navigating the Organizational Lifecycle: A Capacity-Building Guide for Nonprofit Leaders; Member, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers

Lee Draper
CEO, Draper Consulting Group
Chair, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers

Mary Galeti
Vice Chair, Tecovas Foundation
Member, CoF Next Generation Task Force
Twitter: @tecovasfound

Jacob Harold
Program Officer, Philanthropy, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Board Member: Guidestar
Twitter: @jacobcharold

Crystal Hayling
Winner, 2010 James A Joseph Award ; Association of Black Foundation Executives
Former CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation;
Twitter, @CHayling

Kristin Ivie
Program Manager of Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Blogger, Social Citizen
Twitter: @Kivie

Colin Lacon
President and CEO, Northern California Grantmakers
Board Member, Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers

Kris Putnam-Walkerly
President, Putnam Community Investment Consulting, Inc.
Vice-Chair, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
Board Member, Community Fdn. of Lorain County;       Twitter @Philanthropy411

Henry AJ Ramos
Principal, Mauer Kunst Consulting
Lead Consultant, Diversity in Philanthropy Project
Founding Member, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers

Kathleen Reich
Program Officer, David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Twitter:  @kdreich

Mike Roberts
President, First Nations Development Institute
National Advisory Committee Member, National Center for Family Philanthropy
Member of the Tlingit Tribe of Alaska

Sokunthea Sa Chhabra
Director of Interactive Communications, Case Foundation
Chair, Metro DC Chapter of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
Twitter: @Sokunthea

Mike Shaw
Program Assistant, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Board Member, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy
Twitter: @mikebaileyshaw

Sterling Speirn
President and CEO, WK Kellogg Foundation
Advisory Council Member, Global Philanthropy Forum

Sean Stannard-Stockton
CEO, Tactical Philanthropy Advisors
Member, Alliance for Effective Social Investing
Columnist, Chronicle of Philanthropy; Twitter: @tactphil

Kimberly St. John-Stevenson
Communications Officer, Saint Luke’s Foundation
2010 Communicator of the Year, International Assoc. of  Business Communicators  Greater Cleveland Chapter;  Twitter: @saintlukesfdn

Aleesha Towns -Bain
Program Associate, Rasmuson Foundation

Rosetta Thurman
President, Thurman Consulting
Adjunct Professor, Trinity University
Twitter: @rosettathurman

Cole Wilbur
Trustee, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Steering Committee Member, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
Board Member, Institute for Global Ethics

Richard Woo
CEO, The Russell Family Foundation
Board Member, Council on Foundations
Board Member, Philanthropy Northwest

12 Terrific Charitable Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Apologies for the radio silence over the past few months, but I gave birth to twins at the end of December and – as you can imagine – they’ve taken top priority!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I wanted to share some terrific ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts that give back.  CauseCast (self described as ” a platform where media, philanthropy, social networking, entertainment and education converge to serve a greater purpose”) developed a Top 10 list of chartiable Valentine’s Day gifts, including e-cards that benefit Charity: Water, fair trade chocolates from Ghana, and (for a very special Valentine’s) conflict-free diamonds.

Target is sharing $1 million in proceeds from Valentine’s Day cards to benefit 5 charities: Kids in Need Foundation, United Through Reading Military Program, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, United Way, and the Salvation Army. It’s called “Super Love Sender” and internet users can vote on Target’s Facebook page to decide how much of the $1 million each organization wins.

CharityNavigator allows you to give a charity gift card. Cards  can be redeemed as a donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. You pick an amount to load on the Good Card (between $10 and $250) and your recipient selects the charity (or charities) to receive the donation.  Cards can be sent via email, print-at-home or postal mail.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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, 2010.

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