The Continuing Evolution of Best Practices

Get out and Learn, a project of Tides Center.

As the nation's largest fiscal sponsor, Tides takes its leadership role seriously.  That’s why we have acted as the host of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors for the past six years and why we’re proud to promote the newly developed Guidelines for Fiscal Sponsorship. Congratulations to Tides’ Jane Levikow, who serves as the chair of NNFS, and the other members of the NNFS steering committee who have contributed to this important milestone for...

Curious about Fiscal Sponsorship?

Fiscal sponsorship is practiced across the country in dynamic ways by dedicated organizations that believe social innovators should be more concerned with achieving their missions than with establishing and maintaining the administrative infrastructure of an organization.  Yet, as an emerging field, fiscal sponsorship can raise questions of regulatory compliance for funders and programs struggling to understand the true nature of the relationship between a fiscal...

Vatican shifts blame to homosexuals. Who cares?

Sometimes homophobia makes us wince. Sometimes it can bring tears to our eyes. And sometimes it makes us want to grab the bat from the basher. This is one of those moments.

The recent comments from a Vatican official deflecting attention from the Church's complicity in child sexual abuse by linking homosexuality to pedophilia has us on a bit of a rampage. A homophobic institution that failed to protect children from sexual abuse is under fire and is turning around and blaming LGBT people. The Vatican...

Make Your Money Work for Your Values

Every day, we're faced with choices about aligning our values with our financial activity. Our concern for the environment may lead us to buy local produce or to stop buying bottled water. In support of human rights, we might monitor which apparel manufacturers employ sweatshop or child labor. We might select Credo Mobile, who donate a portion of their profits, as our cell phone carrier. Or we can choose to use a credit union or a local bank as an alternative to the Wall Street institutions implicated in the financial ...

Health Care for America Now: What's Next?

Click here to join the conversation at a special briefing featuring Health Care for America Now.

It’s taken 94 years and many failed attempts for the United States to join the rest of the world’s industrial democracies in making health care a right for all its residents.  And while the process was ugly (that old adage about not watching sausage being made, especially if you want to enjoy a pepperoni pizza, comes to mind here) and the final product not everything  we wanted, I am ultimately joyful and relieved...

Shareholder Activism Wins Victories

Guest post by Timothy Smith, Senior Vice President, Environment, Social and Governance Group at Walden Asset Management

The investment portfolio at Tides has been managed for decades by Walden Asset Management (formerly U.S. Trust of Boston), a leader in sustainable and responsible investing.  Here are four areas where Walden helps Tides' investments to support a double bottom line of financial returns and social change:

Screening: Tides' investment choices utilize environmental, social, and governance...