Elaine Gast Fawcett

Elaine Gast Fawcett

Contributing Editor, NCFP

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

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

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

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
Voices from the Field

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

In Times of Growth: Planning for an Influx of Assets

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

An influx of assets is a powerful transition point in your philanthropy. With rising resources comes the budding potential to do more of what you’re already doing—or, perhaps, try something new. This Passages Issue Brief will help you plan now for growth tomorrow, and manage change if you’re in the midst of it today… Read More

Planning for an Influx of Assets

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Tara Brown, Katherine Lorenz, Elaine Gast Fawcett

An influx of assets—whether sudden or expected—is a powerful transition point in your family’s philanthropy. With rising resources comes the budding potential to do more of what you’re already doing: making a difference according to your foundation’s mission. For family foundations—particularly those for whom the influx comes as a complete surprise—a change in asset size can feel downright disorienting. … Read More

Avoiding Avoidance: Addressing and Managing Conflict

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Bobbi Hapgood, Lisa Parker, Elaine Gast Fawcett

Conflict is neither inherently good nor bad. Conflict will always occur in an organization that's growing, evolving, and changing. On this webinar, we’ll explore typical situations where families might find themselves falling into the avoidance trap, along with useful strategies for ‘avoiding avoidance’ and other related tips and tools for managing family conflict… Read More

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