Featured Article

Today marks the beginning of a year-long celebration —honoring not only NCFP’s 20th anniversary, but the amazing accomplishments of families like yours. … Read More

In 2015, Foundant partnered with Youth Philanthropy Connect on their trip across the United States as they hosted gatherings of youth philanthropists. This trip opened their eyes to the potential for success a program like this could have in their own community in Bozeman, Montana… Read More

Like a compass, values guide us toward decisions that align with who we are. But a compass only works when you trust it. When you find yourself surrounded by disruptive activities, I encourage you to call on your values and find direction in them… Read More

In this piece, June Wilson, Executive Director emeritus of the Quixote Foundation, reflects on the value of uncovering and examining unconscious bias, shining the light on how other funders can do the same… Read More

Foundations’ decisions about their lifespan should not be guided by concerns about doing it right or doing it wrong; their decisions should be guided by the unique circumstances and vision of each foundation… Read More

For us, transparency is as much about discovery as disclosure. That’s because the discovery process is how we determine: (1) what we know, (2) what we don’t know, (3) where we stand, and (4) what boundaries, if any, exist for a specific topic. … Read More

Launching family foundations is often the expression of donors’ desires to establish a lasting legacy and to instill in future generations the importance of giving. But family foundations face certain common pitfalls as well. The RBF is often held up as an example of a family foundation that has weathered these storms successfully. How might the ingredients of its success be described? What lessons can it offer?… Read More

As a group, family philanthropies put a lot of energy into connecting with our constituents. We do this joyfully because we know that strong, trusting relationships are vital to our success and the communities we serve… Read More

Tasked with the responsibility of creating a strategic focus for the foundation, I realized that I had to take a step back and understand how my family’s values and beliefs informed their philanthropy… Read More

Philanthropy often encourages grantees to take risks, to be innovative, to find new solutions to old problems. Indeed, many refer to philanthropy as “risk capital,” providing funding that can help society create innovative, new models for addressing the world’s most intractable social issues. But risk and innovation often bring an uncomfortable consequence: failure… Read More