National Center for Family Philanthropy

Trends 2020: Foundation Identity

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, focus of the foundation, family member dynamics, operational effectiveness, and much more. Size and Scope By conservative estimates, family foundations represent more than 60% of the approximately 90,000 grantmaking foundations in the country; there are more family foundations than all other forms combined in… Read More

Trends 2020: Founder Involvement, Intent, & Perspectives

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including adherence to founder intent, founder’s perspective on family dynamics, founder involvement, and much more. Founder Involvement Founders remain actively involved in most family foundations, yet this has declined somewhat since 2015, from 64% to 56%. Founder involvement is low among family foundations formed… Read More

Trends 2020: Study Methodology and Key Findings

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including foundation effectiveness, impact investing and payout, engaging the next-gen, and much more. Study Methodology NCFP engaged Phoenix Marketing International (“Phoenix”) to design and conduct a nationally representative survey of family foundations, with oversight by a diverse advisory committee of knowledgeable practitioners. NCFP and… Read More

Trends 2020: Future Directions

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including future opportunities, anticipated asset changes, board and staff changes, and much more. By their nature, family foundations are evolving organizations, with new leaders, programs, and challenges from year-to-year. They are also institutions with family legacies, relationships, and accomplishments. As family philanthropy moves into… Read More

Death, Legacy, and Leadership Transition

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

The death of a foundation leader or senior family member is likely the most emotional change a foundation will undergo. Suddenly, or not so suddenly, family members and the board face grief and loss, and also an onslaught of financial, legal, and organizational issues. How can you plan ahead, as a foundation and as a family? And how can you… Read More

The Materiality of Sustainability for Investors

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Cambridge Associates

Sustainability is increasingly material to investment returns. In this paper, experts from Cambridge Associates discuss five prominent trends that are likely to have relevant implications for investment portfolios over the long term. The five trends we highlight — climate change, multi–stakeholder driven society, resource degradation, demographic challenges, and technological revolution — all warrant attention from investors, even if they have… Read More
Voices from the Field

Five Lessons Learned from Running a Foundation That Gives Directly to Families

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Amy Kingman

In 2016, I was asked to join a philanthropic project that was close to the heart of philanthropist Warren Buffett and his beloved older sister, Doris Buffett. The “letters program” first started many years ago. After going public with his giving pledge, Warren (like many well-known philanthropists) was flooded with requests not just from nonprofits, but also from individuals and… Read More
Featured Article

In Memory of Carmen Castellano

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Maggie McGoldrick

Carmela Castellano-Garcia and Carmen Castellano at the 2014 National Forum on Family Philanthropy “I’m most proud of the legacy we’re leaving. Latinos are philanthropists,” said Carmen Castellano in a 2015 interview as a part of NCFP’s “I am Family Philanthropy” series. In her 81-year life, Carmen built a legacy she and the Latinx community could be proud of, modeling formalized… Read More
Voices from the Field

State of the Social Sector: A Message to Family Philanthropy

Posted on August 24, 2020 by David La Piana, Madison McAleese

hands reaching out to each other, helping
The COVID-19 crisis has detrimentally impacted every industry over the past several months. While record numbers of Americans are filing for unemployment and communities around the country are facing serious health and economic crises, the social sector, responsible for supporting and engaging these communities, is desperately holding on while funding dries up. As the pandemic shutdown began to unfold, we… Read More
From NCFP

An Interview with NCFP’s Senior Fellow Ginny Esposito

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Virginia M. Esposito, Jason Born

Ginny Esposito and Alice Buhl
Ginny Esposito with NCFP’s inaugural Senior Fellow, Alice Buhl Editor’s Note: Vice President of Programs Jason Born spoke recently with NCFP Founder Ginny Esposito about her transition to the role of Senior Fellow at the beginning of 2020, and some of the projects and initiatives she is working on in that new role. I’m here today with my long-time friend… Read More

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