NCFP Blog

You’ve seen the research: financial returns need not be sacrificed for environmental or social objectives. You recognize the possible benefit of using your foundation’s investment capital to ameliorate the same pressing social and environmental issues currently targeted by your grant strategy. You hear people in the mainstream financial services industry throwing around the term “impact investing,” but wonder how it might apply to your own foundation’s investment portfolio… Read More

As we go about our work supporting our nonprofit partners, we encounter a wealth of useful resources and learning on capacity building – and we believe that there is no reason for us to keep that to ourselves. Enter the Organizational Effectiveness Knowledge Center. … Read More

Confession: I thought I knew everything there was to know about youth in philanthropy… Read More

There are lots of practical and conceptual reasons to resist mission creep. So then, how can a little mission creep ever be a smart move?… Read More

Exactly two months from now, Quixote Foundation will have spent its whole endowment other than a few funds needed to wrap up operations. Parts of this process have been pretty scary. Here are four fears we’ve faced and the reasons we’re still stoked, not spooked, about spending everything… Read More

Throughout this process, I have learned many lessons about what works best. As I launch the seventh year of this practice and these columns, I would like to share six key lessons… Read More

This might hurt my mother’s feeling, but I can live without the creamed onions and the sweet potatoes covered with melted marshmallows. Despite their stubborn presence at our annual gathering, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s all about the things that I love: family, food, appreciation and giving… Read More

Our Working with Government Officials course provides an excellent overview of both the tax and ethics rules involved to help family foundation leaders to stay in compliance with the law. … Read More