Elaine Gast Fawcett is a philanthropy advisor, communications and grantmaking strategist, and storyteller with 20+ years serving multigenerational family foundations, nonprofits, and grantmaker associations. She is the published author of 12 field-respected books for grantmakers, and hundreds of articles, tools, case studies, and guides for family philanthropists, and a long-time contributing writer and editor for NCFP. Reach Elaine at PhilanthropyCommunications.com or LinkedIn.
Contributions
What choices do family foundations and funds have when it comes to transparency? NCFP's new guide, "Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities," features a collection of five diverse funder stories exploring different takes on how families think about and act on transparency—and what they have learned as a result… Read More
Relationship Between the Board Chair and CEO
Posted on January 9, 2019 by Vernetta Walker, Lynne J. Doblin, Katherine Lorenz, Elaine Gast Fawcett
How do board chairs and CEOs develop and maintain their partnerships? How do family foundation board chairs and CEOs build a relationship of trust and bridge the divide between physical distance, differences between staff and family member roles, and continue the work of the foundation during times of transition? Join to learn how CEOs and board chairs develop positive, productive… Read More
The Link Between Transparency, Privilege, and Power in Family Philanthropy
Posted on October 29, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
What choices do family foundations and funds have when it comes to transparency? And what approaches are families taking when it comes to managing transparency, communications, and privacy? … Read More
Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities
Posted on October 10, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
What choices do you have when it comes to transparency? How open and accessible is your family foundation—to the extended family, to grant seekers and partners, to the public? What approach do your colleague foundations take, and why? This guide examines how family funders are thinking, acting—and not acting—when it comes to how transparent they are with others. It encourages… Read More
Six Predictions for Family Philanthropy’s Future: Takeaways from NCFP’s 20th Anniversary Symposium Opening Plenary
Posted on September 27, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
What does the future of family philanthropy look like? At NCFP’s 20th Anniversary Symposium in San Francisco, 10 thought leaders attempted to answer this question… Read More
Thrive at Five: The Secrets of Long-Term Family Philanthropy
Posted on March 26, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
If you are a newer family foundation with one or two generations on the board, five generations may seem like a long time away. Yet in family philanthropy, quite a few foundations have been operating and thriving for 50, 75, even 100 years. What’s the secret of these family philanthropies that make it five generations or more? How do they… Read More
Honoring the Different Generations: The Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation
Posted on March 26, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
When Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez discovered gas and oil on their ranch on the border of Mexico and Texas, they became multimillionaires overnight. However their values didn’t change. … Read More
Thrive at Five: Families Sharing Stories
Posted on February 27, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
If you are a newer family foundation with one or two generations on the board, five generations may seem like a long time away. Yet in family philanthropy, quite a few foundations have been operating and thriving, for 50, 75, even 100 years. What’s the secret of these family philanthropies that make it five generations or more? How do they stay united over time, over generations, and across family branches? How do they successfully attract and engage younger family members?… Read More
How the Raskob Foundation Values Family: a Recap of the NCFP Webinar Valuing the Family in Family Philanthropy
Posted on January 23, 2018 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
How do family foundations keep the focus on family in their philanthropy? In a January webinar, three family foundation colleagues from multiple generations joined NCFP’s president Ginny Esposito to talk about families large and small, and the shared values that hold them together over time… Read More
Shh…Be Quiet and Listen
Posted on October 20, 2017 by Elaine Gast Fawcett
If there’s one thing I’m hearing in sessions and social hours at NCFP’s 20th Anniversary Forum, it’s about how important it is in family philanthropy to listen… Read More
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