Eugene is right, it is difficult on non-profits to have to tiptoe around their funders but worse is to have your funder change their program interests. Many of us working on nonproliferation and economic conversion have been side-swiped by a couple of big funders pulling out of the area. The swing at many foundations is pretty incredible -- conflict resolution this year, abortion rights the next, western water conservation the next.... Many people who have responded privately to my (somewhat vitriolic) posting have expressed frustration with program officers who do not seem to know anything about the issues they are trying to fund. While there is a movement to professionalize funding and foundations, program directives which jump from buzzword to buzzword certainly doesn't seem to help their effectiveness, and it leaves a lot of people working out in the field scrambling for less money. Gina Neff [EMAIL PROTECTED]
