Did anyone else get the opportunity to watch Bill Clinton’s speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night? Regardless of political affiliation, professional commentators and casual observers alike seem to agree that the man is a masterful orator, and his most recent speech was certainly no exception. The excitement in the convention hall was palpable even in my living room. Though the speech was almost an hour long, I was glued to my seat. MORE
I’ve been thinking a lot about collaboration lately. How can multiple actors best come together to merge different (and often competing) cultures and interests, to achieve a common goal? What are the conditions under which something truly significant results? What are the red flags that indicate despite good intentions all around, it’s time to chalk things up to “lessons learned” and walk away? MORE
Following a long and difficult discussion, we are excited to announce the winning recipient of Fairmount4Free’s inaugural pro bono consulting services. This year, we will be working with PhilaSoup, an organization that hosts a monthly micro-grant dinner that brings together innovative and dynamic Philadelphia-area educators, highlights the great work they are doing and funds exciting projects for implementation in the classroom. MORE
In a few weeks, kids will head back to school for a new year – different teachers, interesting classes, and hopefully some new friends. Making friends for an organization isn’t all that different from making friends with another kid on the playground. MORE
Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Or as engineer Clarence Johnson stated, perhaps more memorably, “Keep it simple, stupid!” As the philanthropic community places more and more weight on data and evaluation in determining where to direct support, many nonprofits are looking for new ways to present complex evidence in a straightforward and succinct manner to catch and keep the attention of potential funders. While traditional charts and graphs may suffice, some have discovered a method of demonstrating their results that is both simple and visually appealing: infographics. MORE
Evolution has exponential qualities—one single cell is father and mother to millions of species alive today. If simple cells (prokaryotes) had not through the wondrous and inexplicable force of change over time evolved into complex cells (eukaryotes), which in due time morphed into simple animals laying the foundation for more complex animals, [fast forward a few mega-annums] we, Homo sapiens, may not exist today. The organisms that survived to participate in the next evolutionary leap were the ones that were adaptive. MORE
The Pew Charitable Trusts recently released Pursuing the American Dream: Economic Mobility Across Generations, a publication of their Economic Mobility Project. A key finding: we may be making more money than our parents did, but we aren’t necessarily ascending the economic ladder. MORE
Last week, a friend sent me a link to an image that was popular on one of my favorite social media sites. It was a picture of a sign on the side of a bus stop. The sign depicted a cute, slightly dopey-looking squirrel and read: “Get adopted by a squirrel. And feel content in knowing that your new parents are somewhere in a tree, watching you.” MORE
There are only two weeks remaining (!) to submit Letters of Intent for Fairmount4Free, our newest initiative to support small, innovative nonprofits. MORE
Picture a postcard that’s a treasured memento to you. Maybe it’s from your grandmother, who sent it from Cape May the summer she celebrated her 70th birthday. Its corners have curled into two separate, tightly wound pieces, the bright beach scene that once splashed across its front is now a faded pastel palette, and the card’s creases are so numerous and deep that you can’t read your grandmother’s words anymore. But, still, they stick with you because her message meant something. MORE