Michael Bailin, who served as President from 1996 to 2005, wrote several essays about the Foundation’s transformation and trends in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors:
- Great Expectations Versus Getting the Job Done (2004) argued that "even though philanthropy is capable of great achievements every now and then—such as the Carnegie libraries, the Rockefeller Foundation’s yellow fever vaccine, or the Ford Foundation’s seminal investments in community development—those moments of philanthropic derring-do, remarkable as they are, were not the norm, and should not be."
- Hooked on Change (2004) reported on the status of EMCF’s grantmaking.
- Focusing in on an Effective Grantmaking Strategy (2003) argued that one of the keys to a successful grantmaking strategy is “focus, focus, and focus.”
- Re-Engineering Philanthropy: Field Notes from the Trenches (2003) discussed the Foundation's transformation to a new way of grantmaking.
- A High-Engagement Approach to the Field of Youth Development (2002) described the Foundation’s new grantmaking approach and what differentiates it from traditional philanthropy.
- Crossing from the Private Sector (2001) talked about the lessons from EMCF’s grantmaking strategy for business executives and others in the for-profit sector interested in strengthening nonprofits.
- The Changing Landscape (2001) explained how venture philanthropy contributed to EMCF’s grantmaking approach but did not replace tried and true philanthropic practices.