Voices from the Field

Learn Foundation Law is a free resource for online trainings and tools related to the basic legal rules for private foundations… Read More

Racial diversity and inclusion have been central to the grant making strategy at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for decades. In more recent years, the Foundation has deepened its engagement with racial equity. For David L. Neal, a family member and trustee at the Winston-Salem, N.C., family foundation, this focus on equity has been a high priority. Not long ago, however, as he was researching his family’s — and the foundation’s — history, he discovered that its legacy is more complicated than he had once thought… Read More

We often hear that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. But what if we started to think about them to be leaders today? What does that mean and how would it look? Philanthropy gives us an opportunity to work with youth on developing life skills such as decision-making, collaboration and, more importantly, empowering youth as leaders in their communities. … Read More

Why you give matters just as much, if not more, than what you give. Whether you are talking about preserving wealth or giving it away, it’s important to be clear on the values that drive that decision. How many people have voiced their own values, held a conversation with loved ones about the values they share? My guess? Not many… Read More

Advocacy is the single most effective strategy to achieve social impact. Without advocacy, achieving real social transformation is not possible. It provides both the scale and pathway to implement the solutions foundations fund. … Read More

The Noyce Foundation was established in 1990 by the family of the late Dr. Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, and co-inventor of the integrated circuit, better known as the microchip. Over its lifetime, their approach to grant making evolved reflecting what the trustees have learned from their experiences and institutional knowledge. … Read More

The foundation started quite traditionally with reactive grants in our local community. About halfway through our journey we shifted to proactive initiatives to tackle issues with a focus on systemic change. This resulted in several complex, multi-year initiatives built with sustainable tactics and planned exits… Read More

Social movements are at the core of who we are as a society. People participate in these social movements because those who can’t stand up for themselves need the voice of strangers to be there for them. It’s the real reason most of us get behind a cause – an inspirational story, a symbol or a vision inspired us… Read More