Trust-based Family Philanthropy

Trust-based philanthropy is being embraced by a growing number of family foundations as a way to alleviate power imbalances between funders and grantees while fostering more productive and informative relationships. Driven by the central philosophy that funders should approach grantee relationships as learning partnerships, a trust-based approach encourages multi-year unrestricted funding, streamlined reporting, and transparent and responsive communication. In this session, participants will hear from leaders of family foundations that have embraced trust-based approaches, how these practices align with each family’s legacy and values, and what it looks like when foundation CEOs and family trustees collaborate to build a culture of trust. Participants will learn about how foundations and grantees both benefit from a trust-based approach, and will have a chance to consider some practical next steps to build more productive and balanced funder-grantee relationships.