Lisa Pilar Cowan
Lisa Pilar Cowan is vice president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
Stories by This Author
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OpinionFrom TV’s ‘The Gilded Age’ to the Fight for Reparations: Lessons for Philanthropy in 2024
What binge watching a popular television show taught me about philanthropy’s ongoing efforts to move away from antiquated notions of charity. -
Opinion
Why Grant Makers Should Reject Shiny New Things
Social change takes a lot of time. Too often, foundation officials get bored and forget that. -
Opinion
Let’s Address the Real Reason Great Fundraisers Are in Short Supply
Too often, nonprofits force development officers to grovel for donations from the rich, rather than emphasizing how to connect people in a community to support an organization’s mission. -
Opinion
No Thank You: Why One Foundation Leader Doesn’t Want Gratitude From Grantees
Grant makers aren’t giving away their own money so the conversation with their partners should always be about equals working to change the world — not as benefactor and supplicant. -
Dispatches
2022 Is the Year for Grant Makers to Stop Talking and Start Doing
Because philanthropy has so little external scrutiny, foundation officials must assess whether they are actually making enough of a difference, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan, the author of a series of essays on grant making in a time of upheaval. -
Opinion
A New Generation of Foundation Leaders Need to Act Like Community Organizers, Not Gatekeepers
The pandemic and racial reckoning have made clear that we need bold foundation executives who see their role as using their money, power, and voices to muster resources to achieve ambitious goals. -
Dispatches
For All of Us in Philanthropy, the Moment of Rebuilding Is Here
Our grantees have struggled mightily with a range of challenges as foundations have seen their assets boom and learned that it doesn’t take luxury travel or other trappings to do good well. Let’s work now to keep moving forward. -
Dispatches
What One Grant Maker Learned in This Pandemic Year: Keep Asking Questions
Brave grantees and fast decision making by foundations were key to getting through the scariest days since lockdown. But it became clearer than ever that foundation officials have a lot to learn, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan. -
Dispatches
It’s Not Advice My Grantees Need. They Need My Access to Power and Money.
Too often financial supporters think they are helping by making recommendations to people who already know how to carry out nonprofit missions. Let’s focus on what we have to give that truly matters. -
Opinion
Charity Navigator’s New “Impact Score” Tells Us Little About a Nonprofit’s True Value
Attempts to quantify success based primarily on return on financial investment, ignore the complexities of nonprofits’ work and their impact on the communities they serve.
