NCFP Blog

From NCFP

A Time for Reflection and Action

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Kimberly Myers Hewlett, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Dear Community Members: This is a sobering time. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black people as a result of unconscionable acts of violence and aggression is once again challenging our nation to acknowledge the long-held suffering of communities of color across the United States. We are witnessing a response to centuries of racism… Read More
Voices from the Field

Let’s Live it Well: Family Funders Investing in Capacity When It’s Most Needed

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Juliette Cho

fabric heart on rope
Even in times of good health, nonprofits operate under tight financial and human capital constraints. As the devastating effects of COVID-19 have unfolded over the past few months, we have seen far too many nonprofits who do some of our most important work—providing essential services to children, the elderly, the homeless, victims of violence—and those who bring us joy and… Read More
Voices from the Field

Learning as We Go: A Regional Family Foundation Responds to the COVID Pandemic

Posted on May 25, 2020 by David Farren

South Carolina marshland
No doubt, the COVID-19 crisis elicits a strong sense of purpose in every grantmaker, interspersed with moments of feeling overwhelmed. How do we meet all of the pressing needs in a society with a relatively weak social safety net and glaring inequalities, relative to our collective resources? How much should we deviate from our existing programs and grantees? What is… Read More
Featured Article

Tell Me Anything: Advice for Funders Seeking to Become Active Listeners

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Maggie McGoldrick

feedback written on chalkboard
Active and open listening to grantee communities is not an entirely new topic for the philanthropic sector. Many funders have acknowledged the power dynamics inherent in their role, and as philanthropy evolves, there has been a shift towards greater transparency, deeper relationship-building between funders and grantees, and more grantee-focused funding practices. Groups like the Fund for Shared Insight and the… Read More
Voices from the Field

Four Questions to Get Maximum Impact During This Crisis

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Putnam Consulting Group and is re-posted here with permission. You’re just the philanthropic leader we need. If you are like most funders or philanthropy-serving organizations, in the past couple of months you’ve done one of two things: You jumped into action, heroically extending or eliminating grant deadlines, providing additional funding without applications,… Read More
Voices from the Field

Oregon Community Foundation: Partnership and Collaboration Delivers Big Impact to COVID Response and Recovery

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Jennifer Olson Curry

hand holding plant in rain
In mid-March, as the scope and gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) moved nearly 100% of our staff to remote workplaces at the very moment our work increased in urgency and complexity. The pace of change and dramatic shift in service delivery is something none of us had ever experienced. I have been humbled by the… Read More
Voices from the Field

Accelerating Change: A Model for a Funding Response to COVID-19

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Marsha Davis

car accelerating through tunnel
Like many of you, our fund has been rocked by this global pandemic. At The Tzedek Social Justice Fund (formerly known as the Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund), our staff are juggling the lack of childcare and the time-consuming, sometimes traumatizing, preparation to protect the lives of the vulnerable individuals in our families. But organizationally what we hold is… Read More
Voices from the Field

Preventing Wire Transfer Fraud at Foundations and Family Offices

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Tom Donahoe

stacks of Spam
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Exponent Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. It’s a daily danger Your email/firewalls are constantly being pinged. Although your cyber-security filter may stop 90%+ of the attempts, some still get through. Be especially alert around bank holidays. With international clients, the attempts are especially focused when US/European/Asian holidays are not synced… Read More
Featured Article

Leveraging Deep Community Ties: Rural Funders Tackle COVID-19

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Allen Smart

wheat field
The philanthropic response to COVID-19 has been dominated by three separate but interconnected themes: (1) Relaxation of standard reporting requirements, programmatic restrictions and timelines, (2) Advocacy for funders to extend themselves past standard 5% payout spending policies and (3) Creation of emergency funding pools or other rapid response structures. While all are worthy of consideration, these trends are not groundbreaking… Read More

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