Voices from the Field

Grantee Perception Report: What We Heard and How We Plan to Do Better

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Don Chen, Jonathan Goldberg

This article was originally published by the Surdna Foundation and is re-posted here with permission. Have you ever had food stuck in your teeth and only found out when you looked in the mirror hours later? If you’re like us, you probably thought, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” The truth is that it’s tricky to give honest feedback to the people… Read More
Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Family Philanthropy Speaks: A Conversation with Nicole Systrom

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Nicole Systrom

NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco speaks with Nicole Systrom, founder of Sutro Energy Group. Nicole talked about philanthropy’s role in climate change as well as how philanthropic capital is catalytic to incubate ideas and build infrastructure. She also shared about leveraging peer networks, intermediaries, and other resources.  Philanthropy is a practice borne out of compassion and commitment—and one… Read More
From NCFP

Demystifying the Hidden Figure of ‘Effectiveness’

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

In philanthropy, effectiveness is our north star—it is the bar we measure ourselves against and the standard we strive to uphold. But what exactly does it mean to “successfully achieve an intended result” or “fulfill a specified function,” particularly when our structures, practices, and beliefs are called into question? What does it mean to be effective not just as funders,… Read More
Featured Article

Join us in San Francisco

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Cathy Cha, Allison Magee, Kimberly Myers Hewlett

Cathy Cha, Kimberly Myers Hewlett, and Allison Magee are co-chairs of the 2022 Forum advisory committees. Two-plus years into a global pandemic, urgent discussions about climate change, and a long-overdue reckoning with racial inequities are transforming our social norms and society overall. We invite you to embrace family philanthropy’s role as a lever for change and join us in person… Read More
Network News

May 2022: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on May 4, 2022

Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. This month features updates from the Walter & Elise Hass Fund, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Wege Foundation, and Winston Family Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or good news about your… Read More
From NCFP

Takeaways Blog on Governance Practices for Better Decision Making

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Daria Teutonico

This blog summarizes key notes from our April Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy webinar. Governance practices of philanthropic families are evolving to include more diverse voices and perspectives. Two common pathways that giving families are using to become more informed about the communities they partner with are creating an expert or community advisory committee to guide social impact strategies and decisions, and… Read More
Voices from the Field

How the Family Behind a Sportswear Behemoth Is Expanding Its Philanthropy for Rural Communities

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Ade Adeniji, Inside Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on the many forms of family philanthropy, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and produced by Inside Philanthropy’s editorial team. In 1937, Paul Lamfrom fled Nazi Germany and later founded Columbia Hat Company, a modest hat manufacturer in Portland, Oregon. When Paul passed away, the company’s reins… Read More
From NCFP

Pluralism in Family Philanthropy: Navigating Tensions and Bridging Divides for Impact

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Daria Teutonico

In an increasingly divisive society, people are facing complex, challenging dialogues around politics, ethics, and social issues, struggling to manage perspectives across the political aisle and facilitate healthy discourse with multiple viewpoints. What is taking place on a macro scale is mirrored within individual families—difficult conversations, distinct political and cultural divides, and in many cases gridlock or an inability to… Read More
Voices from the Field

So You Want to Do a Participatory Strategy?

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Rachel Stephenson Sheff

This article was originally published by Alliance and is re-posted here with permission. Love the intention—but let’s make sure you get it right. These days, the word ‘participation’—or rather, its sophisticated cousin ‘participatory‘—is tossed around the social impact space like the word ‘organic’ in a hipster grocery store. Everyone wants to do a participatory process because they understand why it’s a smart… Read More
Network News

April 2022: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on April 6, 2022

Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. This month features updates from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, McKnight Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Robins Foundation, and Surdna Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or good news about your… Read More