“This data suggests that the biggest barriers to effective impact and the greatest pain points for nonprofits and social enterprises are their own funders.” I expect this news comes as a shock to many funders, who are generally trying to affect positive change in the world. But at Open Road Alliance, unfortunately, this finding didn’t come with too much surprise.
This week, I read the Road Block Analysis Report by the Open Road Alliance that shows that the biggest barrier nonprofits face is…our very own funders. In fact, according to the executive summary.
A new report finds that the largest cause of damage to nonprofits’ missions is the demands of the people funding the projects.
When foundations try to identify obstacles to a grantee’s success, they had better look in the mirror.
That’s according to a new analysis of 102 nonprofit projects that ran into trouble and required cash. Grant makers, government agencies, and other donors were to blame for the disruption in nearly half of these cases, often because they changed their funding strategy or delayed promised money.
This article is the final in a four-part series sharing what Open Road Alliance has learned about risk management in philanthropy and how the organization has evolved over the past five years to better address the need for fast, flexible contingency funding in the sector.
Open Road Alliance knows disaster is just one missed donation away for many nonprofits. Now it’s offering a lifeline.
The fund is designed to help organizations withstand one-time cash crunches
Open Road Alliance, a philanthropic initiative that seeks to preserve impact in the social sector, today announced the launch of Open Road Ventures, a new fund that will disburse at least $50 million in loans to nonprofits and social enterprises over the next five years.
This article is the third in a four-part series sharing what Open Road Alliance has learned about risk management in philanthropy and how the organization has evolved over the past five years to better address the need for fast, flexible contingency funding in the sector.
“I’ve been working as a foundation executive for five years and there are some uncomfortable truths that I’ve learned here as well. These are three things that I find myself saying every week, over and over…” Uncomfortable truths and lessons learned from Open Road’s Executive Director, Maya Winkelstein.
Yet for the sector as a whole, both intuition and experience tells us that there is a better way than desperately seeking funds after a roadblock. If funders took more initiative to talk about and plan for risks with their non-profit partners, non-profits wouldn’t need a rescue operation. Creating a contingency plan is efficient and cost effective.
Laurie Michaels is Founder of Open Road Alliance, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary. This article is the first in a four-part series sharing what Open Road has learned about risk management in philanthropy and how the organization has evolved over the past five years to better address the need for fast, flexible contingency funding in the sector. This series will include findings from Open Road’s research and practical guidance on best practices for managing risk in order to maximize impact in philanthropy.
