Featured Article

Gratitude and Humility in Philanthropy; from a Story, to a Value, to Action

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Julie Fisher Cummings, Doug Bitonti Stewart

Authors and leaders throughout the field have published articles and tools (e.g. Grandparent Legacy Project) aimed to help families ask questions to elicit the core values of our founders. When we are able to connect our founders’ values to real-life stories, it can have a profound impact on our families and those we serve… Read More
Voices from the Field

Knowledge Philanthropy: Engaging Donors in Community Needs

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Laily Pirbhai

The Calgary Foundation understands the importance of our 3 key roles: donor stewardship, effective grantmaker, community leader…but what’s our why? What do we believe? After sixty years of serving philanthropy for the benefit of community, we’ve learned our knowledge of community issues and needs represents the distinct value we bring to donors - that’s our biggest asset… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving as a Family: My Family’s Use of a Donor-Advised Fund Through Our Community Foundation

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Rosie Abriam

A donor-advised fund (DAF) provides the donor(s) the opportunity to provide a tax-deductible gift to benefit the organizations and issues that the donor(s) care about most. Working with the community foundation has been great for our family because they provide management and support including handling the paperwork attendant to tax-deductions… Read More
Voices from the Field

Even with Complex Histories, Families Have an Opportunity to Advance Equity

Posted on May 3, 2016 by David Neal

Racial diversity and inclusion have been central to the grant making strategy at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for decades. In more recent years, the Foundation has deepened its engagement with racial equity. For David L. Neal, a family member and trustee at the Winston-Salem, N.C., family foundation, this focus on equity has been a high priority. Not long ago, however, as he was researching his family’s — and the foundation’s — history, he discovered that its legacy is more complicated than he had once thought… Read More