Becky Erdahl, executive director of the Carolyn Foundation, thought she had landed the easiest job in the world when she was asked to run the community relations department at the Pillsbury Company. She shares in this “What I Wish I Knew . . .” video how she quickly found out that it was a lot harder to give away money respectfully and responsibly than she thought.
Becky wishes she had better understood the importance and power of guidelines in grantmaking. She found that she had to say “no” a lot less often when they were able to tighten up their guidelines and give nonprofits a better chance at receiving a grant.
Becky advises new foundation staff to reach out and learn from their peers, as working in foundations with few staff members can be very isolating. She also encourages people who are new to family foundations to remember that family philanthropists are volunteers; this is not their full time job and they look to the staff at their foundations to guide them to make informed decisions. Thanks, Becky!
View other videos in our “What I Wish I Knew . . .” series:
- Stephanie Jacobs, MCF director of member services
[...] Becky Erdahl [...]
[...] Becky Erdahl [...]