Power dynamics can really get in the way when you are trying to build a healthy, strong organization. If family foundations and their grantee partners don’t see eye to eye, or if junior members of the family pose challenges to their board leaders or elders, the back-and-forth struggle isn’t just uncomfortable; it can undermine the organizational stability and compromise impact. But there are practical, effective solutions for this struggle.
This Content Collection shares perspectives from nonprofit leaders and foundation colleagues on the challenges of power dynamics in family philanthropy, and possible solutions for how to address these issues.
Please also see the NCFP Content Collection on Trust-Based Philanthropy for additional information and resources.
Interested in learning more about this topic alongside your peers? Consider signing up for a current or future cohort of NCFP’s Trust-Based Philanthropy Learning & Action Lab.
Start Here
Are You Using Your Power, or Leaving it on the Table?
Article
In spite of our laws and regulations, our checks and balances, our moral and social norms nurturing restraint and respect, people use power to bend rules, exclude and disenfranchise, distort facts and disseminate misinformation, manufacture fear, and secure preferential treatment.
Additional NCFP Webinars and Passages Issue Briefs
Avoiding Avoidance: Addressing and Managing Conflict in Family Philanthropy
Passages Issue Briefs
Conflict is normal in any family or organization. In this issue of Passages, you’ll learn about the most common conflicts in family philanthropy, the creative “tactics” some boards use to perpetuate the avoidance, and how you can use simple tools to address conflict in a healthy, productive way.
February 14, 2019
Balancing Power Dynamics
How can you use your privilege to address the power imbalances that exist between funders and community partners? How can your board members build more honest and collaborative relationships, while also supporting other funders in building more authentic relationships with their grantees? This conversation will feature a variety of practical…
Family Governance Meets Family Dynamics: Strategies for Successful Joint Philanthropy
Passages Issue Briefs
This Passages issue paper explores the interplay of family dynamics and family governance in family philanthropies, concluding families who think about their governance systems, including how decisions will be made, are less likely to be encumbered by family dynamics than families who begin their philanthropies informally, progressing to formality over…
Creating a Culture of Respect
Funders and Grantees Sharing Power: Voices from the Field
