From NCFP

What a privilege it is to begin the New Year celebrating the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s 15th Anniversary!  For the small, dedicated, and optimistic group that launched a center committed to advancing family philanthropy in 1997, what has been accomplished in our first 15 years exceeds even our wildest dreams. Even I (maybe the most optimistic of all) marvel… Read More

‘Tis the Season …. The Season of Gifts.  We figure out those who will receive the gifts, we research, we wrap, we ship, and we anxiously await word on whether our gift was a hit. For family philanthropy, such gift giving is a way of life.  You’re in the happy – if challenging – position of making smart, successful gifts… Read More

Everyone loves a good celebration.  Families particularly mark the special moments in their lives with celebrations: an anniversary, graduation, wedding, or a birthday (especially those birthdays that end in the dreaded “0” – 30, 40, 50, and whatever numbers come after that!). While families may celebrate personal milestones, their approach to their philanthropic work may be more “nose to the… Read More

A foundation needs trustees who can work together productively, but it does not require that they be unanimous in their opinions or uniform in their outlook. …A foundation’s extraordinary potential for good springs from its board’s ability to act as a collective, to be cohesive in fulfilling its public trust. As Alfred North Whitehead remarked, “No member of a crew… Read More

Many of the philanthropic families who call on me for help in doing their best possible work in the best possible way invariably reach a point where they say they want a system that is fair to the family. Most start by wanting family fairness as a means to doing good grantmaking. However, over time, the goal of family fairness… Read More

The process of emerging from a long, gray winter is a cause for celebration. Extra sunlight and the reintroduction of the stunning colors of nature are also extraordinarily energizing. I suppose that is why some take to spring cleaning. Since I am rarely inspired to clean, I personally prefer to take the energy and the inspiration to renew the vibrancy… Read More

A great enthusiasm is building for getting the most out of your charitable giving, for working with your family in this pursuit, and for focusing for greater impact… in Israel!… Read More

Spring must be here. Washington, D.C. is showing off cherry blossoms and red tulips and my travel schedule has gotten a lot busier. This month I have been invited to speak at a few family foundation retreats and my hosts must all be in “spring cleaning” mode. Everyone seems to be dusting off their policies and practices in the interest… Read More

It’s summer and a young person’s fancy turns to …philanthropy? Well, perhaps more than you might think. I ran into a friend recently and she told me her college freshman daughter was off to Nicaragua. Sarah belongs to a group that organizes charitable field trips for young people – giving them the chance to help those considerably less fortunate while… Read More