Voices from the Field

Checks landing in the mailboxes of nonprofit organizations with foundation return ad-dresses have long been considered philanthropy’s most important currency. Reflecting that view, family foundations have tended to focus their operations, self-image, and their very reasons for being on getting the dollars out the door… Read More

Katherine Lorenz, President of the The Cynthia & George Mitchell Family Foundation and NCFP Fellow and board member, reflects on how philanthropy has brought together multiple generations of her family. Katherine shares how the Cook's Branch Conservancy in Piney Woods, TX promotes local and regional conservation ethics and demonstrates the resilience of nature in perpetuity… Read More

If every funder only pays for a specific program or a specific line item, an organization becomes fragmented and unstable. Without general operating support, an organization doesn’t have the money for staffing, rent, technology, training, or even the phone bill. And, without a strong infrastructure, programs that improve our communities can’t happen. … Read More

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

Every day we see committed and generous families making positive impacts on the communities 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 feature NCFP Board member Sarah K. Miller and her husband Chris Miller of the RGK Foundation… Read More

Every day we see committed and generous families making positive impacts on the communities 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 dynamic mother-and-daughter tandem of Carmen Castellano and Carmela Castellano-Garcia of the Castellano Family Foundation. … Read More

Everyday 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. Each month, we will share a new compelling profile in their own words. … Read More

Editor’s note: the following is reprinted from Living the Legacy: The Value of a Family’s Philanthropy Across Generations, published by the National Center for Family Philanthropy in 1999. In a family foundation there is no question as to the importance of learning from the donors and carrying out their legacy. David and Lucile Packard left our foundation their estate as… Read More