Voices from the Field

Name, Claim, and Share Power: Perrin Family Foundation (Passages Issue Brief Excerpt)

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

Cover of the Passages Issue Brief, Bridging the Power Divide, with a person teaching a few others in a room
As a family funder, how can you acknowledge and responsibly navigate the power of your position? How does the power and privilege you hold affect those you interact with and support? How can you use your power for good—to make lasting impact? This Passages Issue Brief features stories, perspectives, and practical tips on power, and suggestions for how family funders… Read More
Voices from the Field

NCFP Launches Trends 2020 Report

Posted on October 16, 2019 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Trends Collage Image
Giving families have historically turned to each other for advice about family philanthropy. NCFP translated these stories into data by producing the first statistically-significant benchmarking study of national family foundations, Trends 2015. The study’s findings have helped families navigate the sector for the last five years—highlighting what their peers are doing and why. NCFP is now proud to present the… Read More
Voices from the Field

Six Timeless Tips for Raising Philanthropic Children

Posted on October 13, 2019 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

two young children smile at the camera
Editor’s note: While this post is from 2005, the advice is timeless!  Providing for children not only involves ensuring that they have clothes on their backs, roofs over their heads, and food in their stomachs, it also requires that families supply a sense of appreciation for their gifts, monetary and otherwise, and the desire to share those gifts with others… Read More
Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

What Makes a Family Foundation CEO an Effective Leader: Insights from William M. Dietel

Posted on October 11, 2019 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

a group of business people with idea bubbles hovering above them
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of reports on NCFP’s Leadership Symposium for Family Foundation CEOs held March 23-24 in Washington, DC. We’re reviving this piece from 2011 because we’ll be talking about CEO leadership during our 2019 National Forum on Family Philanthropy! The unique role of the family foundation chief executive often involves a very complex… Read More
Voices from the Field

Involving Non-Family Members in the Foundation

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Exponent Philanthropy

boardroom meeting with a large group of people
Editor’s Note: Originally posted to Exponent Philanthropy’s blog. Many of our clients consider whether to involve non-family board members either early in the formation of their foundation or at some point during the foundation’s growth and development. This article discusses factors to consider in determining whether and how to include “outsiders”: the selection criteria of non-family members for board service;… Read More
Voices from the Field

Balancing Privilege and Responsibility

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Ellie Frey Zagel

White chairs on red rose gardens
Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared here and on NCFP’s blog in 2018. Balancing privilege with responsibility is no small feat. And then, after you miraculously have figured it out for yourself, how do you pass this wisdom down to your next generation? In this blog, I will highlight what I mean by privilege and then share a few examples of… Read More
Voices from the Field

Are you or your org guilty of Trickle-Down Community Engagement?

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Vu Le

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on Vu Le’s Nonprofit AF website and appears as per their crossposting guidelines here. In Seattle, if you’re a person of color and you walk down a dark alley late at night and you feel like you’re being followed, it’s probably someone trying to do some community engagement: “Psst…hey buddy—Go Hawks!—you want to attend… Read More
Voices from the Field

Rural Philanthropy in Canada: 21st Century Strategies Bloom in Canada’s Hinterland

Posted on October 2, 2019 by John Lorinc

Editor’s Note: This article, first published in The Philanthropist, is first of a series that will explore rural philanthropy in Canada. A French translation is also available. When a group of Prince Edward County residents decided to establish a community foundation for the pastoral rural island region in eastern Ontario in 2008, they began not with an endowment, as is… Read More
Network News

October 2019: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on September 30, 2019 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Colorful pumpkins on wooden background
Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their cutting edge work. This month features updates from the Brinson Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Surdna Foundation and Walton Family Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or good news about your foundation that you would… Read More
Voices from the Field

Passages: Bridging the Power Divide with Edgar Villanueva

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

Editor’s Note: The following is a conversation with Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance and board member of the Andrus Family Fund. It is an excerpt from the forthcoming Passages Issue Brief: Bridging the Power Divide that will address power dynamics in family philanthropy.   “One of the most critical conversations we… Read More