NCFP Blog

The Surdna Foundation recently published, “Social Justice at the Surdna Foundation,” which outlines their commitment to social justice. This has required difficult and ongoing conversations, a broad understanding of long-term systemic change, and acknowledgement that the work will never be "done."… Read More

Placemaking places people at the heart of its process—empowering individuals by giving them an active voice in shaping the spaces around them, mapping and designing their own communities. The Levitt Foundation highlights a few fascinating placemaking projects from around the globe that illustrate the beauty of people coming together and creating a shared vision for their community… Read More

Ask any philanthropic family about their biggest challenge or concern, and one of the answers you’re most likely to hear is “how can I better engage the next generation?” In fact, NCFP’s 2015 Trends Study pointed to the changing leadership of family foundations – specifically to the engagement of younger generations on foundation boards – as a major factor that will shape the future of family philanthropy… Read More

Given the benefits of PRI's as a unique tool for advancing impact and that larger foundations have demonstrated their use, why do so few family foundations use them? … Read More

Everyone wants to help during a crisis, and, for many, that means giving money. But few understand what it takes to distribute funds to the people, businesses, or nonprofits that will create the greatest impact and fulfill the most need—especially if the money lives in different funds at different organizations… Read More

The idea of impact investing tends to divide people into two groups. Some believe it is the best-of-both-worlds; a way to invest that bolsters their mission while generating competitive returns. Others fear that it is too-good-to-be-true; a distraction that cannot consistently produce returns that are comparable to traditional investing models. … Read More