As the context around community philanthropy continues to shift, Blueprint Research & Design, Inc. will be developing a number of brief reports (Future Matters) to expand on the original report and discuss ongoing and emerging issues and trends that may matter to the future of community philanthropy.

Our newest Future Matters report, Equity Advancing Equity, provides a comprehensive look at how community foundations are using the tool of mission investing to further their impact. Both the Executive Summary and Full Report are available for download.

2008 Future Matters Series

Community Foundations and Social Enterprise, looks at the many ways community foundations are supporting social enterprise development in their communities.

Communities on the Move: Community Philanthropy, Immigrants and Giving, looks at the many ways community foundations are working with immigrant communities.

Our first Future Matters report of 2008, Community Philanthropy and Social Media, is an update on the types of media, changes in user behaviors, and expectations about information that community philanthropy organizations should consider in our rapidly changing technology landscape.

2007 Future Matters Series (In Partnership with the Monitor Institue)

Reframing Endowment as a Tool for Community Leadership, describes how social investing could change the way community foundations think about their financial assests.

Philanthropy Marketplaces: Inventing the Future of Community Philanthropy, examines the new "philanthropy marketplaces" around the world that are facing many of the same dynamic challenges that community foundations now face, and are harnessing the potential of technology to develop and test a range of new tools and approaches.

Community Foundations and Leadership: What's Race Got to Do With It?, looks at some of the tools and approaches that are being developed to help community foundations with the increasingly essential work of understanding, reflecting, and contributing to emerging communities of color.

The first Future Matters report, Keeping Your Community Foundation Ahead of the Technology Curve, was released in the Spring of 2006. It explores new technology trends that may be important to communities in the decade to come and looks at their potential to change the ways that community philanthropy organizations share information and knowledge, build community, and mobilize resources and collective action to address local issues.

If you are interested in receiving an email notice when upcoming Future Matters are posted, please sign up here.