Voices from the Field

Most of us think first about the impact funds have when allocated for specific purposes like building a school or hospital, supporting job training, or funding advocacy campaigns. Others may also think about the impacts of where funds are invested, for example, in a community development financial institution that supports economically marginalized neighborhoods and individuals, or in a clean energy fund advancing new technologies… Read More

I remember sitting in a second-year elective course as an MBA student nearly two decades ago, listening to a guest lecturer describe how the “venture philanthropy” organization where she worked was applying the “principles of venture capital investing” to its work. She heaped disdain on what she called “traditional philanthropy,” which, she argued, hadn’t achieved results… Read More

For new funders seeking to find the balance that makes sense for them, or for more established funders assessing their current strategies, it can be helpful to reflect on the pros and cons of responsive and proactive giving strategies. This blog introduces five key questions to guide their planning… Read More

The Wilson Foundation was started in 1963 by Joe Wilson, founder of Xerox Corporation, and his wife, Peggy. The foundation embarked on strategic planning to revisit their giving priorities, but they quickly realized their impact goals would be successful only if they had the proper governance structure. In this blog, they share their board succession planning process… Read More

The history of the United States is marked by wealth created in rural America. Timber and wood products in the northwest and northeast; fossil fuels in Appalachia, the southwest and Rocky Mountains; textiles in the south, among others. Related philanthropic funds have been created alongside these rural industries—often from multi-generational family commitments to these rural communities. With the renewed focus… Read More

In a follow-­up to Generations of Giving, NCFP is now co-­sponsoring a research project with LGA to explore how complex, multigenerational business families are using a variety of vehicles beyond their family foundations to pursue philanthropic goals—including their personal philanthropy, donor-­advised funds, corporate social responsibility programs, and values‐aligned investing strategies… Read More

Family foundations have long been a philanthropic mainstay on the Southern landscape, making pathbreaking investments to advance a region that lags the nation in the overall level of foundation assets. Today, the South still needs more philanthropy and different philanthropy to close the gaps and open the possibilities of our region and its people… Read More

A real storytelling practice only began in my family about 10 years ago. Like many other families with a strong patriarch, our family foundation needed to make important and difficult decisions together while also managing our differences. In order to be more effective, our multi-family office suggested we “tell the family stories.” While my grandmother is a genealogist who has written 17 books about 400 years of my mother’s family line, we had never been much about family storytelling… Read More

The Heron Foundation, which seeks to help communities out of poverty, has used innovative financial techniques to reach their goal of 100% of their endowment towards mission. What's next? We always knew that “getting to 100 percent,” would be like reaching a false summit. We would like to share some lessons we learned on the path to our “100 percent” goal, as well as our thoughts on the significance of those lessons and our own plans for the future… Read More

Editor’s Note: This blog post originally appeared here from GMA Foundations. Traditions are an important ingredient of a healthy organizational culture.  Our favorite foundation meetings balance the often hurried and transactional work of governance with small traditions at each board meeting. Traditions create a dynamic flow of rhythm and predictability for meetings. They promote a sense of identity and connection. They reinforce and… Read More