From the outset of the Scaling What Works initiative, GEO has supported a conversation about scale that includes a variety of ways nonprofits and their funders are creating more value for communities and making fast and substantial progress on the issues and causes we all care about.

Several of the key lessons and best practices voiced at the convening are ones that we at Arabella have also learned and grappled with firsthand when providing strategic guidance, facilitation, and operational support services to a range of donor collaboratives in recent years.

The Joyce Foundation’s Shifting Gears initiative was launched in 2007 as a state policy change effort in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The goal is to strengthen state postsecondary, adult basic education, and skills-development systems so that more low-skilled workers gain the education, skills and credentials needed to advance and succeed in our changing economy.

Blue Avocado lists the Ten Biggest Mistakes Boards and Executives Make.

Much like the gauges on your car’s dashboard, which keep critical information within immediate reach, dashboards present an organization with data related to its operation, performance, well-being, and overall health. Generally speaking, dashboards gather, organize, and present information in a friendly way to help organizations more effectively measure, monitor, and manage the way they work.

This report offers four case studies on how different foundations used information to improve the healthy functioning of their communities. The cases highlight the following: Why did each foundation support local media? How did it connect to their strategic priorities? What steps did they take to make their project successful? And what impact has it had on the issues they care about? Sharing these cases we hope provides valuable lessons for other foundations considering supporting local news and information efforts and broadening their commitment to using media and technology to engage residents.

More of America’s billionaires are starting to give away their fortunes even before they reach middle age, according to a new Chronicle study.

The growth of impact investing is being driven by family offices, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. As this cohort of investors navigates this new frontier of investing, many are finding it challenging to engage their key stakeholders—trustees, family members, staff, and more—because of the long-held practice of maintaining a divide between philanthropic giving and investing. Engaging trustees and staff who are philanthropically oriented to consider finance vehicles, or engaging investment staff to consider social or environmental impact, is a significant paradigm shift. However, this by no means is an obstacle for developing a meaningful strategy. Here are a few tips for foundations seeking to explore an impact investing strategy.

Today’s younger generations have the potential to be the most significant philanthropists in history. But we don’t know much about them. A relatively small group of Gen Xers and Millennials are inheriting over $40 trillion in wealth, much of that designated for charitable giving. Many are making their own wealth, too. They will be the major donors in America for decades to come; some already are.