Are foundations like that know-it-all friend who judges people too quickly and follows trends too closely?

Nancy Lublin thinks so. In a mock letter to foundation leaders, the chief executive of Do Something lays out her problems with how grant makers treat charities.

“Dear Foundation People: We’ve been ‘friends’ for a long time. We call. You return our call a few weeks later. We hang on to your every word,” she writes on her Fast Company blog. “But the truth is, we don’t really talk.”

She says their “relationship is fraught” for four reasons.

Foundation officials often act like they know more than charity leaders; they are too quick to dismiss the need for marketing and other overhead costs; they support organizations that have the same mission; and grant makers start too many new projects.

To be sure, Ms. Lublin acknowledges that improving the relationship requires work by both parties, and she pledges to make some changes herself.

“On my end, I promise to stop calling ‘for advice’ or ‘just to check in’ when that’s never the point of the conversation,” she writes. “We both know what I really want: your check.”

On Twitter, Ms. Lublin has received praise for her candid talk. For example, Joe Brown, a charity consultant, writes that he mostly agrees with her ideas. He does say that one critique – that foundations are know-it-alls – “seems a bit snitty & judgmental.”

What do you think? Are foundations and grant seekers in need of a good marriage counselor? Click on the comment button below to share your views.