Nicholas (Nick) Tedesco is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). NCFP serves as a hub of learning, connection, and collaboration designed to resource and activate a community of families to be intentional philanthropic stewards. Nick is a passionate advocate for philanthropy and brings over a decade of experience partnering with donors and their families to establish and meet their giving goals.

Prior to joining NCFP, Nick served as a Senior Advisor in the J.P. Morgan Philanthropy Centre where he provided clients with insights and services to help meet their philanthropic objectives through innovative advice, thought leadership and opportunities for learning and collaboration.

Previously, Nick served as a Relationship Manager at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he helped launch the Giving Pledge—an effort led by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. In this role, Nick managed relationships with current and prospective members of the pledge, as well as their staff and advisors. He helped to connect global philanthropists with one another in effort to exchange knowledge and encourage collaboration.

Nick began his career in the social sector as the Deputy Director of the Children’s Health Forum—a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and eradication of childhood diseases that disproportionately impact underserved communities.

Nick was named to the inaugural Chronicle of Philanthropy 40 Under 40 ranking in 2016 and the Nonprofit Times Power & Influence List in 2024. He was also named by Inside Philanthropy as the Best Guide to Family Philanthropy in 2023. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal MarketWatch, Time Magazine and other notable publications.

Nick received a B.A. from Villanova University and resides in Washington, D.C.

Contributions

The Evolution of Family Philanthropy: The DR Fund Shares Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Giving

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Camilla Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Jr., Nicholas A. Tedesco, Lukas Haynes

Philanthropy is an ever-evolving effort—as the world and family shifts, so too must a family’s philanthropy. This nimbleness and ability to adapt is a hallmark of the Rockefeller family, and The David Rockefeller Fund’s 30 year history reflects the fact that while change is inevitable and necessary, it can remain rooted in the values and legacy of family. This discussion… Read More

Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Peter F. Bird, Jr., Liz Sak, George Suttles, Nicholas A. Tedesco, Tony Macklin

“How much should we spend?” It’s an essential question for all funders, and an especially complex one for endowed private foundations. The answer of “around 5%” was never universal as foundations sought creative means of ensuring that assets would serve mission rather than the other way around. In recent times, the pressure to revisit payout has increased. Endowed foundations have… Read More

The Future of Family Philanthropy: Positioning Families for Greatness

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Kimberly Dasher Tripp

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Philanthropic families are expanding their impact, knowledge of the field, and becoming increasingly sophisticated in their giving. There is further demand for philanthropic guidance and resources as donors and their families leverage multiple philanthropic vehicles, engage the next generation, and look to increase their payout rates or even spend down. NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco has spent the last… Read More

How Family Foundations Can Listen4Good

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Valerie Threlfall, Lisa Sobrato Sonsini, Fay Twersky, Nicholas A. Tedesco, Melinda Tuan

Philanthropy is an ever-evolving practice. It’s clear that partnering with and listening to the people and communities family foundations seek to serve are instrumental to realizing positive and enduring impact over time. This webinar describes Fund for Shared Insight’s Listen4Good feedback initiative and provides guidance on how you and your grantees collect feedback to make agile and informed decisions during this… Read More
From NCFP

A Time for Reflection and Action

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Kimberly Myers Hewlett, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Dear Community Members: This is a sobering time. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black people as a result of unconscionable acts of violence and aggression is once again challenging our nation to acknowledge the long-held suffering of communities of color across the United States. We are witnessing a response to centuries of racism… Read More

Southern California Grantmakers 2020 Family Philanthropy Virtual Town Hall

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco will be speaking at Southern California Grantmakers’ 2020 Family Philanthropy Virtual Town Hall. Never in recent history has philanthropy been called upon to respond so urgently to our communities in crisis. When facing incredible challenges, family philanthropy has boldly held to their values and acted with vigor. The scale of the current pandemic has… Read More
From NCFP

A Conversation with Dr. Chris Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Dr. Christopher Murray, Nicholas A. Tedesco

NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco recently interviewed Dr. Chris Murray, Chair and Professor of Health Metric Sciences and Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. IHME has been a leader in COVID-19 data capturing and projections. Dr. Murray discussed the role of IHME in providing evidence-based COVID-19 data to the public, latest… Read More

Funder Collaboration: Leveraging Partnerships for Outsized Impact

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Rini Banerjee, Adriana Rocha, Chuck Harris, Olivia Leland, Nicholas A. Tedesco

No matter your current strategies or focus, leveraging a trusted and proven intermediary can help you make the most of your philanthropic assets. By convening and collaborating with peer funders and community leaders working to find solutions to shared issues, you bring expertise to your partnerships and a deep knowledge of the communities served. And by combining your assets and… Read More
From NCFP

A Clarion Call for Family Philanthropy

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

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Dear Community Members, This past weekend marked a period of deep reflection for many around the world—the beginning of Passover, celebration of Easter, and preparation for Ramadan. It also marked one month since the World Health Organization named COVID-19 a global pandemic and our lives changed unhesitatingly. One month since the world began to close its borders; one month since… Read More