The Cost of Doing Good - August 2026
News & Resources
August 2026
The Funder Paradox: Applications, Inflation, and the Cost of Doing Good
In philanthropy, we discuss costs frequently and examine organizational budgets intently. However, while working with funders on refining their grant programs, I was struck by the ways we intensify some of our grantees’ financial challenges.
Resources
What we're thinking about . . .
"AI for what, exactly?" was the teaser for this Stanford Social Innovation Review article. It was a great counter to all of the AI hype currently circulating.
It's also the first of four helpful questions that the authors share to help organizations cut through AI overwhelm and determine what's the best path forward for using AI in their specific context (spoiler: sometimes, less is more).
Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World
I'm a big fan of using small experiments and iteration professionally and personally. I'm also a fan of setting goals.
I don't think that Anne-Laure Le Cunff's experimental worldview can be applied across the board (I find setting a direction and planning how to get there has value), but I do think her advocacy for exploring without presupposing what success looks like can be valuable. It challenges us to think about when to set goals and when a different tactic might help us find they way forward.
A Little Fun
My youngest child has started studying electric guitar, so I'm contractually obligated to introduce him to music of my youth. We've been listening to 90s alternative rock.
So this is a moment of appreciation for the music from my teenage years. I encourage you to take a few minutes and revisit music you may not have listened to in years -- whatever genre it is and from whatever decade.
It's amazing how it transports you.
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