Voices from the Field

This article was originally published by Inside Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. The transcribed conversation comes from a plenary session at NCFP’s 2021 CEO Retreat.  How well philanthropy responded to the events of the past 14 months—a period of so much trauma and suffering—is a topic sure to be debated for many years to come. And, of course,… Read More

Courtesy of fauxels from Pexels I have long sat at the intersection of philanthropy and technology. My parents started the Payne Family Foundation 25 years ago, committed to organizations focused on youth development, education and healthcare. At the heart of our giving is a relationship-based approach to support mission-aligned grantees with flexible capital and open communication lines, creating space to… Read More

This blog summarizes key notes from our May Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy webinar. Philanthropic families employ a wide range of models to make decisions—from unilateral authority to consensus. However, identifying the appropriate structure is often a challenge and can serve as a barrier to effective philanthropic practices. Developing an appropriate decision-making framework for distinct situations allows families to rely on… Read More

This article was originally published by Alliance Magazine and is re-posted here with permission. It can be easy to invest money in an attempt to fix problems. But money alone can’t build trust or change. That work starts with how you treat people. Fortunately, for the families of Detroit’s northwest neighborhood of Brightmoor, the network of providers and parents working to… Read More

Courtesy of the Movement Voter Project This past year has been one of landmark success for our democracy, despite (or perhaps to some extent because of) the uphill battle the pandemic presented in a presidential election year. In the fall we shared the Woodcock Foundation’s decision to increase our grantmaking budget in order to promote democracy and support organizations as… Read More

This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. Giving Compass’ Take: • Nancy Rauch Douzinas encourages business, government, and philanthropy to form tri-sector alliances as the only way to truly respond to COVID-19. • How can tri-sector alliances expedite coronavirus response efforts? What are you doing to enhance collaborative efforts in your own organization? • Read… Read More

This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. This is part two in a four-part series. Read part one, part two, and part three. “Anti-oppression can’t happen without the presence of spirit. Dehumanization, soul loss, and alienation are not states of mind, so it is not a change of mind that is needed. They are states of being… Read More

Courtesy of Elena Rabkina on Unsplash To be or not to be? More accurately, to spend down or to remain in perpetuity? Much has been written about the pros and cons of this existential inquiry in philanthropy. This article shares practical observations from the field about the strategies, tactics, and approaches that limited life foundations have used and guiding questions… Read More

Courtesy of Leon on Unsplash This blog summarizes key notes from our April Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy Webinar. Family philanthropy is rooted in the act of collective decision making—one that is often codified in a formal governance structure. Governance consists of three elements—principles, policies, and practices—that define who makes decisions and how decisions are made. Families that are intentional about developing… Read More