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2 weeks ago | 
cep.org | Lisa Cowan
Individualism. Competition. Risk aversion. Short-termism. Scarcity. Presumed expertise. Many of the norms by which philanthropy operates perpetuate the very narratives our sector seeks to change. In this series on the CEP blog, contributors who represent a cross-section of philanthropy examine some of the common ‘myths’ by which philanthropy operates and ask, “what if?”, offering approaches, interventions, and new visions for how philanthropy could operate for a more just world.
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1 month ago | 
philanthropy.com | Lisa Cowan
My perpetual low-level nausea has persisted for eight weeks now. Each day I read about another decimated federal agency. And each day I hear from a grantee or allied organization whose funding is at risk and who is searching for answers. I keep waiting for this feeling of crisis to subside, but it never does. I’ve written about the ways that the present moment feels like the pandemic, but there are critical differences in how philanthropy is reacting now.
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2 months ago | 
philanthropy.com | Lisa Cowan
I guess the good news about writing this column on Trump’s first 100 days in office is that finding content isn’t a problem. I wish there was less to write about, instead of the everything, everywhere, all at once reality we’ve been living these last few weeks.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
philanthropy.com | Lisa Cowan
Almost five years ago, as the pandemic was turning our lives upside down, I began writing a regular column for the Chronicle of Philanthropy that reflected on the daily work of grant making during that time of crisis and uncertainty. The column, Dispatches, ran from April 7, 2020, shortly before I took to bed with a mild case of Covid-19, until April 7, 2021, when a miracle vaccine set us free.
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Jul 22, 2024 | 
nynmedia.com | Lisa Cowan
Many of us have spent the past few weeks (months, years?) watching our national elections, frozen and afraid, feeling like we are at the mercy of forces out of our control, primarily the egos of two old white men. It seems clear that Trump does not rely on the same operating system as most of us and his moral compass only points one way – N (for Narcissism), so there really are no lessons to be learned from his behavior.
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May 13, 2024 | 
proximate.press | Cynthia M. Gibson |Lisa Cowan |Joana Mortari
Conforme o campo filantrópico brasileiro se desenvolve é comum procurarmos referências do norte global, onde algumas práticas estão sendo testadas há mais tempo. Mais vezes do que gostaríamos, notamos que ao trazer tais referências para o Brasil, deixamos para trás dois elementos importantes: adaptação ao contexto brasileiro e as críticas e discussões que passam a integrar e constituir tais práticas, o que faz com que a fotografia da prática importada seja uma espécie de preto e branco.
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Apr 4, 2024 | 
medium.com | Lisa Cowan
Book lovers everywhere look upon your aesthetically-pleasing, functionally-useless bookshelf with deep disdain. Alphabetical (by author)Congratulations, you are a winner! This is the correct way to organize a bookshelf. Your friends describe you as “boring, but reliable.” You’re a missionary position kind of guy. Two scoops of vanilla, no toppings. You’re probably an actuary, and, if you’re not, you’ve missed your calling asan actuary. You tasted a banana once and it was a momentous day.
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Mar 9, 2024 | 
proximate.press | Cynthia Gibson |Lisa Cowan |Jocelynne Rainey
Who gets to make the decisions about where philanthropic dollars go? For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that grantmaking should rely on professional staff to make expert decisions. But even a decade ago, the limitations of what came to be called “strategic philanthropy” were evident. Trust in institutions—including philanthropy—began declining dramatically, opening the door for more public critique of foundations and big-dollar donors as elitist, nontransparent, and plutocratic.
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Feb 8, 2024 | 
nonprofitquarterly.org | Cynthia Gibson |Lisa Cowan |Jocelynne Rainey |Amara Enyia
This article was co-produced and co-published with Proximate. Who gets to make the decisions about where philanthropic dollars go? For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that grantmaking should rely on professional staff to make expert decisions, reflecting philanthropy’s move from a values-based tradition to a more technocratic bent. But even a decade ago, thelimitations of what came to be called “strategic philanthropy” were evident.
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Feb 4, 2024 | 
thesouthernreporter.co.uk | Lisa Cowan
Galashiels is gearing up for a burst of creativity at the next 'Art'n About in Gala' event from Transform Arts CIC. A community arts festival will be held on Saturday 17 February. It promises to be a day of fun, free, and accessible arts activities where everyone is welcome, regardless of age, background or artistic ability. The event offers open door sessions where the community can come together, get creative and enjoy the warm and friendly atmosphere of the MacArts centre.
