National Center for Family Philanthropy

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What Are Easy Ways to Involve My Children in Giving This Year?

Posted on January 15, 2013 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: Many families anticipating a generational board change ask the National Center for Family Philanthropy how to involve the next generation in their giving as they are getting ready to ascend to the board. Many families have begun to ask about easy ways to involve their children in philanthropy while they are still young to create a “culture of giving.” The… Read More
From NCFP

Be the Architect of Change, Not the Victim

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Virginia M. Esposito

“Foundations change, like it or not. The fundamental issue is whether they will change by chance or for significant reasons. The latter comes about only through conscious effort.” – Frederick deWolfe Bolman Transitions in family philanthropy are those moments in the life-cycle of your philanthropy – prompted by family, foundation/fund, or community circumstances – that signal some significant shift. The… Read More
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How Do I Know if I Have a Great Collaboration?

Posted on December 15, 2012 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

The National Center hosted a special webinar on the topic of “Avoiding Leaky Pipes: Enhancing Donor-Grantee Collaboration” this past October. On the webinar Susan Wolf Ditkoff, a partner in the Boston office of the Bridgespan Group,  provided a “litmus test” one can use to determine if you have an effective collaboration. The two major components one must address are shared goals… Read More
From NCFP

Celebrating Fifteen Years of Advancing Excellence in Family Philanthropy

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Virginia M. Esposito

What a privilege it is to begin the New Year celebrating the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s 15th Anniversary!  For the small, dedicated, and optimistic group that launched a center committed to advancing family philanthropy in 1997, what has been accomplished in our first 15 years exceeds even our wildest dreams. Even I (maybe the most optimistic of all) marvel… Read More
Voices from the Field

Celebrating Fifteen Years of Family Giving

Posted on December 15, 2012 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

The National Center is celebrating our 15th year of providing advice and assistance for families in philanthropy, and what better way to celebrate than to share the perspectives and comments from many of the families we have served over the years. Thank you for your support! Do you have a testimonial to share regarding your experiences with the National Center?… Read More
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Does NCFP Recommend Any Special Holiday Gift Giving Guides for Family Philanthropy?

Posted on November 15, 2012 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

We would like to share tips and tools with our family and friends about giving and family philanthropy during the holidays. Can you recommend any good resources on this topic? The Hip Family’s Guide to Happier Holidays Lisa Parker of the Lawrence Welk Family Foundation says in her guide: “The single best piece of advice I received as a young… Read More
From NCFP

The Gift of Leadership

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Virginia M. Esposito

‘Tis the Season …. The Season of Gifts.  We figure out those who will receive the gifts, we research, we wrap, we ship, and we anxiously await word on whether our gift was a hit. For family philanthropy, such gift giving is a way of life.  You’re in the happy – if challenging – position of making smart, successful gifts… Read More
Featured Article

Impact Investing: Overcoming Resistance from Family and Board Members

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Julia Balandina Jaquier

Editor’s Note: Impact investing is of growing interest to the many thousands of philanthropic families around the world who manage their philanthropy through family foundations and family offices. In this month’s edition of Family Giving News, we present practical solutions and advice regarding one of the most commonly cited challenges for getting started in impact/mission investing: getting internal buy-in. The… Read More
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What is a family council and when should a family consider establishing one?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Patricia Angus

What is a family council and when should a family considering establishing one? Many families with multiple branches may elect to set up a Family Council. While the particular roles and responsibilities of Family Councils vary across families, they typically function as an oversight committee that consists of a small group of family members elected or selected out of the… Read More
Uncategorized, Case Studies

The Meyerhoff Funds: Bridging Geographic Boundaries for Shared Impact

Posted on October 15, 2012 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: This is one of three “Family Office Spotlights” included in the National Center’s new report, Working Together for Common Good. The Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds are a group of Baltimore-based family foundations whose philanthropic contributions have had significant impact not only on the city of Baltimore, but nationally and internationally as well. Joseph Meyerhoff, a premier… Read More

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