Voices from the Field

#TrustCreatesImpact—Now More Than Ever  

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Julia Oestreich

trust
In the US, groups like the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and The Whitman Institute have worked to shift the culture of philanthropy to focus on sharing power, working collaboratively, and building trust-based, equitable relationships. As the sector and the world have grappled with COVID-19 in recent months, it’s clear that the work these groups have elevated is becoming both increasingly critical… Read More
Voices from the Field

Restructuring Systems Amid Two Pandemics: Donors Can Step Up Right Now

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Afi Tengue

This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. This is part two in a three-part series. Read part one.  Philanthropy is continuing to miss the mark on addressing root causes of the exacerbated outcomes we’re witnessing from COVID-19 and anti-Black racism, but individual donors who care about impact can help. Relief efforts have been swift… Read More
Voices from the Field

Philanthropy’s Privilege and Rethinking Risk

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Leaha Wynn

This article was originally published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. Foundations have been described over the years as providers of necessary risk capital, society’s passing gear, or necessary fuel for social innovators. But what does that look like in 2020? Are funders truly behaving in this way, or are they, as Vu Le fears, complicit in a… Read More
Voices from the Field

Collaboration in a Time of Crisis

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Mary O’Reilly

stack of hands, teamwork
COVID-19 represents a war on two fronts—a public health crisis that has already killed over 400,000 people, and an economic one that has threatened the livelihoods of millions. Because the challenge is so massive, and the needs so great, collaborative philanthropy has been key to coordinating effective responses and allocating funds to reach the greatest number of people in need… Read More
Voices from the Field

How Family Funders Can Keep Equity Front and Center During and Following National Crises

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Danielle M. Allen

Photo credit: Clay Banks on Unsplash In late March, one of the family foundations I advise reached out to their grantees to check in and see how the organizations and their leaders were navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. They learned that some of their grantees were looking to support the urgent food, housing, and mental health needs of the families they… Read More
From NCFP

We Stand With ABFE

Posted on June 17, 2020

Dear Community Members: The National Center for Family Philanthropy joins with other national philanthropy serving organizations to stand in solidarity with ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities in their call for philanthropy to take action on anti-Black racism. ABFE is the oldest affinity group in the country, borne out of a moment of both conflict and action, when Black… Read More
Network News

June 2020 Friends Focus: The NCFP Community Responds to Systemic Racism

Posted on June 10, 2020

Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. In lieu of our standard updates, this month features a collection of statements in response to systemic racism from our Friends of the Family, Community Foundations Family Philanthropy Network, and Partner Subscribers.  The NCFP Community Responds to Systemic Racism Last week, NCFP joined many colleagues… Read More
Voices from the Field

Make This Moment a Tipping Point, Not a Tragedy

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Diana Scearce

Scale, justice
Centuries old racial inequity has been laid bare. 111,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19. 21 million people are out of work. Communities brace themselves for wildfires in the west, hurricanes in the east, and turbulence around the 2020 Presidential election. Turbulence with this level of global reach, systemic impact, and sustained uncertainty is unprecedented. The results could be transformational—or tragic… Read More