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How Can Community Foundation Staff Prepare for and Manage Family Dynamics?

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Audrey Jacobs, Rob MacPherson

This month we are delighted to feature a question recently asked during our June webinar, Ten ways philanthropic families work with community foundations. This webinar provides reminders, tips, and peer advice for families, donors, and community foundation staff along with the stories of how two donor families have made the most of their long-time relationship with their local community foundation. The featured presenters are Lauren Amos from the Wish Foundation, David Barrett from the Gene B. Glick Company, Audrey Jacobs from The Center for Family Philanthropy for The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta; and Rob MacPherson from the Central Indiana Community Foundation… Read More
Voices from the Field

Admitting Failure: Learning from Mistakes in Philanthropy

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Bob Giloth

I was recently invited to speak about mistakes and learning in philanthropy at the Grants Managers Network's annual conference. My presentation argued that admitting failures contributes to high-quality implementation, innovation of new strategies and improved governance and transparency. Despite increasing philanthropic interest in mistakes and learning, many foundation staff still find it difficult to have conversations about mistakes… Read More
Voices from the Field

Narrow and Deep

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Jay Ruderman

Every foundation, public or private, is different. Each foundation is passionate about the issues they support but the way they “do business” differs vastly. In order to change attitudes, build awareness and affect long-lasting change, our foundation’s narrow-and-deep approach manifests itself in two ways: our strategy of partnerships and public advocacy… Read More
Featured Article

Where there is community, there is fellowship

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Angie Hong

An increasing number of family foundations, community foundations, and regional associations are utilizing fellowship programs as a complementary strategy for meeting their charitable giving missions, while also seeking to expand local philanthropic leadership by building capacity in individual community members. Family foundations may decide to start a fellowship program for any of a number of reasons, including… Read More
Ask NCFP

Why is it Important to Have an Internal Mission That is Separate and Distinct from an External Mission?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Julie Fisher Cummings, Linda Tracy, Doug Bitonti Stewart

This month we are delighted to feature a question recently asked in our May webinar, Balancing internal vs. external missions in family philanthropy. This in-depth conversation on successful strategies for thoughtfully defining, measuring, and tracking both internal and external missions in family foundation features Julie Fisher Cummings and Doug Bitonti Stewart from the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation and Linda Tracy from the Tracy Family Foundation… Read More
Voices from the Field

I Am Family Philanthropy: William Graustein

Posted on May 27, 2015 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Every day we see committed and generous families making positive impacts on the communities and issues they serve. We want to share their stories and are delighted to announce our new I Am Family Philanthropy video series. In this month's video, we are delighted to share the reflections of William Graustein of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. … Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving to Nepal Earthquake Response? Take Three Long Breaths

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Karen Keating Ansara

With today’s news of the horrific Nepal earthquake I am driven to take immediate action — to make an on-line donation or wire money to friends of friends in the dust-choked streets of Kathmandu and green pinnacles of rural Nepal. I am consumed with the grief of my many Nepali friends who are like family to me. But my experience of the Haiti earthquake response via the Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation has taught me one paramount lesson: TAKE A BREATH. Unless I am physically on the scene, I imagine my Nepali friends with their contemplative souls would agree. Take a breath and assess… Read More
Voices from the Field

Ready: Invest! Set: Customize! Go: Impact!

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Adam Simon

What would it take to create a core of exceptional leaders equipped with the tools and capacity to be effective change agents, networked to maximize the reverberation of their leadership and committed to doing so for their entire lives? At the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, this question is at the core of our mission to empower young people to make a positive impact in their communities. In all of our focus areas, we create and support initiatives that invest in strengthening the leadership potential of individuals, as we believe the key to solving our most intractable societal issues lies in the strength of the leaders that spearhead such changes. … Read More

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