NCFP Board Member Ashley Blanchard

Ashley Blanchard

NCFP Chair | Head of Philanthropy, Lansberg Gersick Advisors | Trustee, Hill-Snowdon Foundation

Ashley is the Head of Philanthropy at Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA), where she helps families define their collective vision for their philanthropy, and then build the governance, operations, and programs to support that vision. Ashley has particular expertise working with family foundations undergoing generational transitions, when matters of purpose, values, and strategy come to the fore. Beyond traditional philanthropy, she works with families to consider the ways that they utilize wealth to achieve their social impact goals, integrating these activities into their broader enterprise continuity plans.

Prior to her work at LGA, Ashley founded Blanchard Consulting, and before that headed the philanthropy team at TCC Group, a nonprofit strategy and management consulting firm. She writes and presents frequently on matters related to family philanthropy succession and continuity, was the founding co-chair of the Council on Foundation’s Next Generation Task Force, and is a trainer in the 21/64 Network (inaugural class).

Ashley is Vice Chair of the Hill-Snowdon Foundation, a Washington-DC based family foundation which strives to create a more fair and just society.  She is the former Chair and a fourth-generation family member.

She is a graduate of Stanford University and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, where she completed her master’s degree in Public Policy.  She lives in New York City with her husband and children.

Contributions

Board Chair Peer Network: Philanthropy in Complex, Multi-Generational Families

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Elizabeth Snowdon Bonner, Katherine Osborne Valdez, Ashley Blanchard

In family philanthropy, there can be an inherent tension between balancing individual philanthropic priorities with a collective family philanthropic endeavor. Families’ abilities to work together effectively in their philanthropy is dependent not only on the way they design their collective giving, but also in how they structure the philanthropic activities outside of it. The responsibility of the board chair is… Read More

21st-Century Governance Part Three: Family Philanthropies as Stewards of a Public Trust

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Gia Rauenhorst, Nicholas Banovetz, Richard Woo, Ashley Blanchard

What responsibilities do family philanthropies have to steward their funds intended for public benefit? Who are they accountable to in their pursuit of effective family philanthropy? Embracing accountability and continuous reflection are critical for effective stewardship. In this webinar we will discuss how donor families can thoughtfully steward funds throughout their philanthropic lifespan. We’ll consider original wealth creation and donor… Read More

Balancing Individual and Family Interests in Collective Giving: Question and Answer with the Authors

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Lansberg Gersick Advisors, Ashley Blanchard

Researchers from Lansberg Gersick Advisors hypothesized that families’ abilities to work together effectively in their philanthropy is dependent not only on the way they design their collective family foundation, but also in how they structure the philanthropic activities outside of it. From 2018–2022, they conducted surveys and interviews and found that as families evolve, they face common dilemmas regarding their… Read More
From NCFP, Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Freedom & Effectiveness Through Accountability

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Miki Akimoto, Ashley Blanchard

Because a body of men, holding themselves accountable to nobody, ought not to be trusted by anybody. – Thomas Payne It should go without saying that families who embark on philanthropy together have good intentions—to give back to  communities where families live and have made their wealth, to make a difference in the world, and to provide a place where… Read More

The Principles of Effective Family Philanthropy: Accountability

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Liz Dozier, Cathy Cha, Connie Malloy, C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser, Ashley Blanchard

 Effective family philanthropy makes a collective commitment to meaningful societal change. It holds itself accountable to impact as defined by community, and to the proven practices that support it. It is adaptive, evolving with the family and the community or ecosystem within which it operates. It shares or cedes power with different family members and generations, as well as… Read More

2023 Partner Summit

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Andrea Judd-Shurmur, Bridget McGuiggan, Regina Bell, Randy Van Antwerp, Kyle Caldwell, Miki Akimoto, Dr. Brittany Kienker, Nicholas A. Tedesco, Christine Sherry, Jason Born

The inaugural Partner Summit is a virtual convening designed for our network of regional associations of grantmakers, philanthropic consultants and advisory firms and financial institutions that serve family philanthropies. The summit will explore the latest trends in family philanthropy, including promoting effective practices with members and clients, the power of cross-sector relationships and defining paths to equity and advocacy for family… Read More

2023 Family Philanthropy Leadership Retreat

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Susan Stamerjohn, Michelle Tremillo, Alejandro Foung, Dr. Jason Franklin, Jonathan Brack, Sandra Fluke, Tonya Allen, Diego Zegarra, Sue Banerjee, Catherine Maddox Walton

Save the Date 2023 Family Philanthropy Leadership Retreat
The 2025 Family Philanthropy Leadership Retreat will take place in La Jolla, San Diego from October 27 to October 29, 2025. Learn more here.   Thank you so much for your interest in the Leadership Retreat. The event is sold out, and we are no longer accepting names for the waitlist, due to the unlikelihood of accommodating everyone on it… Read More

Full Report—Philanthropy in Complex, Multi-Generational Families: Balancing Individual Preference with Collective Purpose

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Ashley Blanchard

Tree in field
Researchers from Lansberg Gersick Advisors hypothesized that families’ abilities to work together effectively in their philanthropy is dependent not only on the way they design their collective family foundation, but also in how they structure the philanthropic activities outside of it. From 2018-2022, they conducted surveys and interviews and found that as families evolve, they face common dilemmas regarding their… Read More

Community Foundations Topical Call: Balancing Individual and Collective Giving in Families

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ashley Blanchard, Tony Macklin

Families often balance giving based on shared purpose and priorities with allowing members to pursue individual interests and goals. The tension between those two goals increases as new voices join the decision-making—spouses/partners, younger generations, non-family advisors, and more. NCFP and Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA) recently completed a study of how families navigate the tension and successfully sustain collaborative philanthropy. LGA… Read More

Balancing Individual and Family Interests in Collective Giving

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Ashley Blanchard

Multiple stones on left side balanced by single, larger stone on right side
For many, family philanthropy presents an opportunity to create a shared experience, unifying the family by working together toward a lasting legacy of impact. Family philanthropy can also give participants an opportunity to explore and cultivate their personal—and sometimes separate—philanthropic passions. There can be an inherent tension between these two goals, and many families struggle with how to address it—especially… Read More