With 2020 soon (thankfully!) coming to a close, you and your family are likely considering the best way to contribute your end-of-year charitable dollars. With all the worthy causes to support—and the need greater than ever, how will you decide (or if you’re an advisor, help your clients decide) where to focus?
One of the ways to find a focus in philanthropy is called a landscape scan. A landscape scan simply means doing your research to determine where and how to give your philanthropic dollars.
At Hammer & Associates, we conducted a landscape scan for a private foundation client in 2019, which included an in-depth interview scan of opioid crisis funding and programming. The research aimed to help the foundation understand the opioid crisis as an issue area, identify possible gaps in funding, and to connect with experts, services providers, and influencers in the space. As a result of the scan, we led the board through a process that honed their strategy and goals, and gave them a clear focus for their grantmaking.
When you want to make sure your philanthropic giving will be relevant and effective, you too can look across the field for needs and opportunities. In doing so, you will find causes, partners, or ways to plug in that you may not have known about before.
For new donors, landscape scans can provide more understanding about existing donors, players, and opportunities in any given issue area and provide diverse viewpoints. For seasoned funders, they can provide updates and comparative data about ongoing developments and needs and help the funder assess impact, explore new strategies, and course correct as needed.
To learn more about the benefits of landscape scans and how to get started, read my article in the Autumn edition of Family Office Magazine. And look for our forthcoming EngagedPhilanthropy™ toolkit Finding Focus and Scanning the Landscape: A Family Office Guide to Issue-based Philanthropy
We hope these resources help inform you and your family as you make important decisions on how to give meaningfully this holiday season.
What else are you using to guide your philanthropy decisions? Drop me a line to let me know what’s working well for you, and what questions are on your mind as the end of year approaches.
Be well,
Suzanne
