Securing funding as a new nonprofit organization can be extremely difficult. In this issue of Philanthropy Chat, Foundation Center-Atlanta Director Val Porter speaks at length about the importance of innovation to startup nonprofits, focusing on the potential of earned revenue and partnerships with small businesses.

This presentation brings together a corporation and challenge winners to share their experiences and lessons learned. Winners of two different corporate challenges tell their stories, and an ambassador from the Pepsi Refresh project provides insight into the corporation’s point of view.

Merle Gordon, Manager of Community Benefit for Kaiser Health Plan Foundation of Ohio, discusses the goals of Kaiser's Thriving Communities Grants and other programs.

Steven Lawrence, director of research at the Foundation Center, discusses findings from the 2010 edition of Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates and the impact of the economic crisis on the nation's more than 75,000 grantmaking foundations. Reflecting on the largest decline in grantmaking ever tracked by the Foundation Center, Mr. Lawrence also explores current and future trends in foundation funding and the nonprofit sector.

Courtney Bourns, Director of Programs at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO), discusses Evaluation in Philanthropy: Perspectives from the Field, a report that examines grantmakers' approaches to evaluation. The Dec. 2009 report co-produced with the Council on Foundations includes case studies.

Representatives from Time Warner, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and Target discuss corporate funding for the arts and what they expect from the organizations they support. This is a recording of a live event moderated by Will Maitland Weiss, Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of New York.

A filmmaker and a grantmaker demystify the various funding options available for grantseekers in film. This is a recording of a live event.

Brad Whitehead, president of Cleveland's Fund For Our Economic Future, discusses economic development grantmaking and the organization that he leads. Fund For Our Economic Future is a philanthropic collaboration of more than 70 foundations and agencies that aim to increase economic competitiveness across a 16-county area.

Aaron Hurst, founder and CEO of the Taproot Foundation, discusses lessons his organization has learned over the last decade of managing volunteer teams, the current climate for corporate philanthropy and workplace volunteering, and how nonprofits can most effectively harness the volunteer talent that’s currently on the market.

The senior vice president and director of community affairs at PNC Bank and chair of the PNC Foundation discusses the PNC Grow Up Great program, a ten-year, $100 million dollar investment in early childhood education. Ms. Blum also shares information about PNC's additional philanthropic interests in education and other fields.

Learn about what makes a successful volunteer program; how to plan, manage, and evaluate corporate volunteer efforts; and details about Credit Suisse's volunteer program. This is a recording of a live event in New York on April 30, 2009.

Kandace Evelyn, program manager for the Taproot Foundation's Washington, DC, office, introduces the foundation's Service Grants, which award free professional consulting services by a team of 5-6 business professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to help a nonprofit in their community.

Valerie Raines, vice president for corporate philanthropy and senior program officer at KeyBank Foundation, discusses the impact of the economy on the foundation's giving.

Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center and author of three recent research advisories on foundation giving in times of economic downturn, shares a first look at how foundations and corporate givers are responding, insights gleaned from examining the grants and other financial investments of close to 50 institutional donors that have announced over $100 million in support.

Tamara Lucas Copeland, president of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, discusses findings from the association's survey, which asked its members about how the economic downturn is affecting their giving in 2008 and what might happen in 2009.

Wondering how your revenue from corporate donors will be impacted as a result of recent economic events? Learn how Silicon Valley corporations have behaved during prior periods of economic uncertainty. This discussion focuses on practical tips for weathering the economic downturn with corporate partners. This is a recording of a live event in San Francisco.

Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center and author of two recent research advisories on foundation giving and giving priorities in times of economic downturn, discusses why the outlook for foundation giving is not as pessimistic as current economic conditions might suggest.

Author and speaker Morrie Warshawski discusses how individuals, government agencies, foundations, corporations, small businesses, and other nonprofits can be possible supporters for film and video work. He helps grantseekers to assess which of these may be suitable prospects for a project and explains why filmmakers need skills in approaching each of these funder types. This is a recording of a live event.

Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center and lead author of Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, summarizes key findings from the report. This is a recording of a live teleconference.