Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Challenge Grant for Innovation

In August 2007, ASF met the challenge from the Gates Foundation to raise $600,000 for innovation. We were proud to win this important grant from the world’s largest foundation, as an affirmation of the work we have done and will do in the next three years. Over time, contributions from members will need to replace the grants from much larger foundations to sustain the core programs of the association. With your support we can continue to strengthen our member services, stay inspired in our giving, and find new ways to be more effective.

Your grants to the Gates Innovation Fund enabled ASF to:

• launch two new Primers,
• redesign Essentials, the quarterly newsletter,
• revise and release The Trustee Handbook,
• and test three new Educational Programs in 2007.

During our New York conference in May, ASF unveiled two new full-day advanced programs; one for arts funders and another for education funders that were a direct result of the Gates grant and member matching grants for innovation. In addition, ASF premiered two days of investment training that included the basics of endowment management and advanced topics. In October 2007, we completed a three-day fall regional conference in Chicago and debuted the first Couple’s Philanthropy Retreat in Charleston, SC.