Legacy collections

Services > Legacy collections

We created the Legacy Collection service in response to the knowledge preservation needs of:

  • foundations that are spending down;
  • social sector organizations that are ending operations;
  • organizations wanting to capture knowledge created through programs and initiatives that are being phased out.​

Legacy Collections act as a record of original knowledge production as well as lessons learned. Through this service, we aim to support continued learning in the field by supplying a publicly-accessible full-text collection long after spend/phase down.

What makes this service truly unique is that your Legacy Collection is part of a larger, networked knowledge management system. The knowledge assets in your Legacy Collection automatically become part of the collective intelligence of the social sector.

Deploy a Legacy Collection and leverage Candid’s technology to

  • quickly and easily create an institutional repository that showcases your legacy of learning and published works; and,
  • broadly share the contents housed in your Collection with Candid’s global audience and distribution network partners like Worldcat — the world’s largest library system.

Examples

S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Legacy Collection

“We finish operations hoping that our story and strategies will have value beyond our end date – and knowing that our grantees, peer funders, and staff alumni will continue to discover new possibilities, improve practices, and grow impact.” (Sooner Rather Than Later: Concluding reflections from Laurie Dachs, Laurie Dachs, Foundation President)

BMA Legacy Collection

“The BMA Legacy Collection and its accompanying Timeline of Philanthropic Support for Black Men and Boys are just two of several ways in which CBMA’s work will be memorialized. I hope they will serve as sources of inspiration and information for the continued BMA work in front of us.” (Black male achievement: Where do we go from here?, Shawn Dove, CEO, Campaign for Black Male Achievement)


More info

“Spending down? Don’t forget your knowledge!”

Ashleigh Halverstadt, former senior evaluation and learning officer of the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, shares what it took to create a Legacy Collection from the spend down foundation’s point of view. (Originally published as a blog post by Glasspockets by Candid in January 2021. Available here as a PDF.)

“Black male achievement: Where do we go from here?”

After 12 years the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) closed its doors in December 2020. In this Candid blog post Shawn Dove, former chief executive officer of CBMA, shares his thoughts about why the BMA Legacy Collection is a vital leave-behind.

“This Valentine’s Day we share a curated kind of love”

In this Candid blog post, Lisa Brooks, director of knowledge management systems at Candid, argues that preserving an organization’s legacy of learning is “a powerful act of responsible, and responsive, love.”

If you have any questions or want to get in touch with IssueLab staff directly, feel free to contact us.