Voices from the Field

New Tools for Foundations to View Peer Group Data

Posted on March 5, 2021 by John Seitz

Courtesy of Serpstat from Pexels Foundations have been badly underserved in terms of available financial benchmarking resources. Coverage of foundations tends to focus mainly on where donations dollars are going without much attention paid to what happens to the money that stays in foundations’ endowments. The few reports that are available either 1) only describe the largest foundations, 2) are… Read More
Network News

March 2021: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on March 2, 2021

Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. This month features updates from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, Libra Foundation, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Russell Family Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle… Read More
Voices from the Field

Making Systems Changes for Equity: A Conversation with McKnight’s David Nicholson

Posted on March 2, 2021 by David Nicholson

The McKnight Foundation has implemented a new program devoted to equity and inclusion in our state. David Nicholson, program director of the Vibrant & Equitable Communities program, shares how that team is thinking about systems change and what they’ve learned so far. Q: As a family philanthropy, how do you see your role in moving racial equity forward? And how… Read More
From NCFP

Calling Family Foundation Board Members to Join a Journey on Racial Justice

Posted on March 2, 2021 by June L. Wilson, Kelly D. Nowlin, Mary Mountcastle, Virginia M. Esposito

Learn more about the Racial Justice Learning and Action Network. In 2018, the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) announced its second class of fellows, naming Kelly Nowlin, June Wilson, and Mary Mountcastle as distinguished fellows. Each of us independently chose to focus our fellowship work on racial equity. Coming together we worked to support one another, challenge established thinking,… Read More
Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Family Philanthropy Speaks: A Conversation with Vasser Seydel

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Vasser Seydel, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Vasser Seydel, the granddaughter of Ted Turner, is the founding chair of the Turner 3rd Generation Board (T3G), a member of the Turner Foundation Board, and is a Millennial leader forging her own path in philanthropy. NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco spoke with Vasser about the inception of the T3G Board, the challenges of generational transition, how to engage… Read More
Voices from the Field

A Generosity of Spirit: The Legacy of Black Philanthropy

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Maya Diggs

As we approach the conclusion of Black History Month we are pleased to share a fresh look at the special role of Black philanthropy in the US. “African American giving is grounded in a collective sense of responsibility and obligation towards the community and the continuing larger struggle for liberation. It is based on a generosity of spirit as an… Read More
Voices from the Field

Takeaways Blog on Family Identity and Culture

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Jen Crino

Courtesy of RODNAE Productions from Pexels Many giving families have a strong sense of identity, defined by their relationships, traditions, and underlying values, and carried out through a shared purpose and approach to philanthropy. In NCFP’s recent webinar, “Family Culture and Identity” Senior Program Consultant Tony Macklin discussed what family culture and organizational culture mean in the context of family… Read More
Voices from the Field

Five Touchstones In Our Relational Reparations Journey (Part 2)

Posted on February 17, 2021 by June L. Wilson, LeAnne Moss, Candace Tkachuck

This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. This is part two in a four-part series. Read part one here. “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb In our first article, we shared the philosophy and beginnings of our relational reparations group in Seattle, which would… Read More
Voices from the Field

Family Culture: Creating a Resilient Family Tree

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Jamie Forbes, Kelly D. Nowlin

Courtesy of Johannes Plenio from Pexels This blog post is excerpted from the Passages Issues Brief Family Culture: Creating a Resilient Family Tree. For more information about family culture, please register for our Family Identity and Culture Webinar on February 11, 2021. Family connectedness, not money, has the greatest influence on multi-generational family continuity. But when many think about legacy, it’s often in… Read More
Featured Article

Takeaways Blog on Defining and Translating Motivations and Values

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Jen Crino

Defining motivations and values is in many ways the most critical step a family takes as they chart a path forward in their philanthropy. Understanding the reasons why families give and the values that connect them together will help guide families through their philanthropic effort. Motivations and values not only give families a common purpose, but also inform their approaches… Read More