Ideas in Philanthropic Field Building
Where they come from and how they are translated into action.
March 2004, 40 pages. The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003, 212-620-4230, http://foundationcenter.org
Download pdf: http://www.foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/practicematters_06_paper.pdf
This book attempts to give structure to the "ecology of ideas" within and surrounding philanthropic fields that provide the moral and practical direction for social change and grant-giving practices in some foundations. By providing this structure and vocabulary, supported by specific examples of ideas influencing foundation programs, the authors aim to strengthen funders' skills at recognizing and understanding natural life span of emerging ideas in their field, and hence, improve their work.