Ask NCFP

Our foundation has made the decision to spend out in roughly 20 years. We have been transparent about this decision with current staff. Are there critical reasons not to communicate this externally at this point? … Read More

Concise, complete, and accurate meeting minutes are vital to the health of a family foundation. These documents are the first thing IRS/state regulators request during an investigation and/or audit into a foundation… Read More

Our current bylaws state, "The President shall be an ex-officio voting member of all committees." Is this typical or unusual? Is it best practice for a Board Chair and/or President to be an ex officio member of all of a foundation's committees? If so, is this person typically a voting or non-voting member?… Read More

As NCFP prepares to close for a few days of end-of-the-year celebration and giving of thanks with Friends and Family, we're pleased to share a collection of some of our favorite books for sharing the joy and potential of giving with younger family member, including the new "Hip Family's Guide for Happier Holidays" by NCFP Board member Lisa Parker, president of the Lawrence Welk Family Foundation. … Read More

In this month's edition of "Ask the Center," we are pleased to share a guest post from Suzanne Hammer, founder of Hammer and Associates, discussing the recent passing of her father: "In the midst of a loved one dying, there are many decisions to be made. There’s paperwork and Power of Attorneys and property. There’s money. There’s final wishes and figuring out what do with all the “stuff.” In my experience, the stress of it all sometimes divided us more than it brought us together. We all wanted the best for our dad, and we each had strong opinions on what “the best” meant to us." … Read More

In this month's Ask the Center, we feature an excerpt from the newest Passages Issue Brief, "A steadying hand: The critical role of non-family board members," written by NCFP Distinguished Fellow Susan Packard Orr. This special PASSAGES provides insight on the various skills, expertise, and perspectives that a non-family board member can provide, as well as the common challenges for families seeking their first non-family board member, and tips for setting clear expectations for this role… Read More

This month we are pleased to feature philanthropy expert, speaker, and advisor, Karen Putnam Walkerly's 8 handy tips for creating effective and meaningful virtual site visits. … Read More

This month we are pleased to feature family foundation consultant and facilitator Karen Green's tips for foundation leaders on engaging retreat participants… Read More

This month we are pleased to feature answers to two of the many questions asked during our December 2014 webinar with Andrew Schulz of Arabella Advisors covering the topic of "What are the rules for donors, family members, and staff of family foundations in terms of accepting tickets to events?"… Read More

This month we are delighted to feature a question recently asked during our July webinar, Fellowship programs: Honoring family legacy and building future community leaders. This webinar highlighted the benefits and impact fellowship programs have on not only community members, but also the family foundation. Fellowship programs can be a complementary program to your grantmaking that honors the legacy of a loved one and encourages further collaboration efforst with community leaders. The featured presenters are Adam Simon from the Schusterman Foundation, Susan Dobkins and Dion Rurik from The Russell Family Foundation, and Monisha Kapila from ProInspire… Read More