October 30, 2003 | Read Time: 1 minute
Toward More Effective Use of Intermediaries, by Peter L. Szanton, discusses the ways foundations use other organizations to strengthen their grant programs. Mr. Szanton, president of Szanton Associates, a consulting firm in Washington that works with government and nonprofit groups, writes that third-party organizations can help select grant recipients, provide technological or management assistance to grantees, and offer expertise to both foundations and the groups they support. He says that using outside organizations allows grant makers to save time, reduce staff expenses, and avoid getting too close to controversial issues. Mr. Szanton warns, however, that the use of such organizations can cause problems; grantees, for example, might be unwilling to reveal their weaknesses to organizations they do not know and trust. The report — part of the Foundation Center’s series of papers entitled “Practice Matters: the Improving Philanthropy Project” — draws on interviews with 70 grant makers, intermediary groups, and grantees.
Publisher: Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003-3076; (212) 620-4230; http://fdncenter.org; 51 pages; free for download from the center’s Web site.
