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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
Voices from the Field

How Claneil Foundation Puts Relationships into Practice

Posted on February 22, 2020 by The Whitman Institute

Claneil Foundation has valued the importance of relationship since its inception. Over the last four years the foundation has deliberately reexamined its practices with this lens – and it’s been transformational. The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project’s Shaady Salehi sat down with Executive Director Mailee Walker to get the scoop on why they did this and what they’re learning along the way:… Read More
Voices from the Field

Working Towards Foundation 2.0: Professionalizing Your Family Foundation

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Jennifer Wegbreit, Deborah Dauber

a cup of coffee sits next to a notebook and pen on a wooden table
Creating and running a family foundation can be rewarding and impactful. However, when a family foundation grows and hires non-family or family staff to operate the organization, it is imperative that systems are put in place to professionalize the foundation. These systems will introduce clarity and objectivity in decision making, reduce potential conflicts, and ensure the foundation follows best nonprofit… Read More
Voices from the Field

Values Lead to Decades of Kindness

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Heather Fust

Editor’s note: In this excerpt, Heather Fust writes about putting values into practice through staff culture at Foundant Technologies. The full article was originally published on Foundant Technologies’ website and appears with permission.  As I wrote at the beginning of 2019, “Choose Kind” remains front and center to every interaction and every thought in our day-to-day lives at Foundant. As… Read More
Voices from the Field

Connecting Family Philanthropists Across Generations

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Stephanie Ellis-Smith and Lauren Janus

A large group of people standing on the beach, silhouetted by the sunset
Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on Phīla Engaged Giving’s website and appears with permission. There’s a danger in making generalizations about any group of people, however, this blog post aims to share trends within the “Millennial” or “NextGen” demographic and to offer some tips on how to bridge the generation gap between the old(er) and young around philanthropic giving… Read More
From NCFP

Welcome Letter from NCFP President & CEO Nick Tedesco

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

Hand_holding_compass
In a welcome letter, our new President and CEO shares his reflections on the state of the sector and the future of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. We invite you to read the letter in full and share your thoughts in this brief survey. Dear Community Members and Friends: As I begin my tenure with the National Center for… Read More
Network News

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

Posted on January 31, 2020 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

rich purple, red sunset in winter
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, Davis Foundation, Delaplaine Foundation, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or good news about your foundation that you… Read More
Voices from the Field

Power of a Name in Family Philanthropy: Two Perspectives

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

Arlington crowd shot
A name can carry a lot of meaning for a family foundation. For some, it is a recognizable tool to connect and inspire across the family and wider community. For others, it can symbolize the family legacy—and perhaps with it, an obligation—that carries into the next generation. Either way, how a family uses its name raises questions about privacy, transparency,… Read More
Voices from the Field

Know Your Family Foundation Life Cycle

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Mary Phillips, GMA Foundations

a family with kids plays in a pile of autumn leaves
Editor’s note: This content is authored by Mary Phillips at GMA, where she leads GMA Foundations’ consulting practice. GMA is a content partner of NCFP and the piece appears with permission. By nature, family philanthropy is a deeply meaningful and evolving endeavor. Families are notoriously unique in their approaches to giving together, yet there are common stages and transitions that… Read More
Voices from the Field

The Exit Interview: Lessons Learned, Stories Shared and Memories Treasured from Richard Woo’s 20 Years of Leadership at The Russell Family Foundation

Posted on January 24, 2020 by The Russell Family Foundation

Richard Woo and Kathleen Simpson of the Russell Family Foundation
Editor’s note: This interview originally appeared through The Russell Family Foundation’s website and appears with permission. Original preface: Over the last 20 years, outgoing chief executive officer Richard Woo has led The Russell Family Foundation from its early beginning as he and co-founders George and Jane Russell charted its philanthropic path and giving model all the way to present-day as… Read More

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