Voices from the Field

How to Best Support Nonprofits through Uncertainty

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Hannah Martin, Center for Effective Philanthropy

How can funders help and support those who are working most directly with and for the populations we care most about? Read “Supporting Our Unsung Heroes in a Moment of Crisis” a series by CEP President Phil Buchanan for timely perspectives and advice. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is complicating an already complex funding landscape for nonprofits. While the need for… Read More
Featured Article

Bainum Family Foundation: COVID-19 Decisions Must Protect the Most Marginalized and Vulnerable

Posted on March 25, 2020 by David Daniels

boy reading a book
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by The DC Line and is excerpted here with permission. The truest test of any society is how its most marginalized members fare during times of crisis. We at the Bainum Family Foundation―like many others in philanthropy and across the nonprofit field here in DC―have particular concern for one of our most vulnerable… Read More
Voices from the Field

Realigning a Long-standing Legacy Program

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Amy Soper

Although we’re not a faith-based organization, the Bainum Family Foundation honors our founders’ commitment to faith-based education as part of our mission. Stewart and Jane Bainum both grew up in poverty and largely credit their success in life to their education at Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) boarding schools in the 1930s. Our Foundation, established in 1968, was intended to help children… Read More
Voices from the Field

Coronavirus Resources for Donors

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Giving Compass

scrabble letters spelling support
Editor’s note: This was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. Though we all are experiencing a great deal of uncertainty as coronavirus spreads, we’re focused on the impact this will have on the most vulnerable among us. Significant numbers of people in our communities are facing extraordinary challenges beyond the immediate health threats, ranging from… Read More
Voices from the Field

A ‘Balancing Test’ for Foundation Spending

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Dimple Abichandani

Editor’s Note: This article, by Dimple Abichandani, executive director of General Service Foundation, was originally published by Stanford Social Innovation Review on February 10, 2020 with the headline: “A ‘Balancing Test’ for Foundation Spending.” One of the most important decisions a foundation makes is how much to spend each year. As distinct from budgetary decisions, spending policies are the invisible architecture shaping… Read More
Featured Article, From NCFP

NCFP’s New CEO Nick Tedesco on Creating Community and Finding Solutions

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Giving Compass, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Editor’s note: This content is authored by Jen Jope, Editor-in-Chief of Giving Compass. This content was originally published on Giving Compass and appears here with permission. Nick Tedesco knows a thing or two about family dynamics. For the last 15 years, he’s worked closely with family philanthropists as part of the team that launched the Giving Pledge at the Bill &… Read More
Voices from the Field

Successful Generational Transitions: Building Trust and Flexibility into Your Work with Families

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Jen Crino, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The Seattle Foundation

Young girl and father drawing outdoors
Generational transitions are a natural part of family philanthropy—trusting the next generation to honor established values and traditions while asserting their own leadership. Many families seek guidance from philanthropic advisors to find the right balance of implementing changes and maintaining the status quo. In the webinar Successful Generational Transitions, staff members from the Seattle Foundation and the Community Foundation for… Read More
Network News

March 2020: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on February 25, 2020

Purple Poppy Flowers
Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their cutting edge work. This month features updates from the Bainum Family Foundation; Brindle Foundation; The Clowes Fund; Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; J. M. Kaplan Fund; McKnight Foundation; The Russell Family Foundation; Surdna Foundation; and Zellerbach Family Foundation.  Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle… Read More