Ashoka

November 30, 2021
Ashoka identifies and supports the world’s leading social entrepreneurs, learns from the patterns in their innovations, and mobilizes a global community that embraces these new frameworks to build an “everyone a changemaker world.” Read about Ashoka’s theory of change for this historic moment, the new inequality, and the new framework that they require. Read More

Miki Akimoto

November 29, 2021
Miki Akimoto is the Chief Impact Officer at the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). In this role, she partners with the CEO to implement NCFP’s strategic plan, enhance sector partnerships, and ensure a strong measurement and evaluation plan. She aligns and integrates NCFP’s revenue, relationship management, and program strategies. Miki oversees NCFP’s programs and development teams. Miki has a Read More

Croatan Institute

November 29, 2021
Croatan Institute is an independent, nonprofit research and action institute whose mission is to build social equity and ecological resilience by leveraging finance to create pathways to a just economy. Since our launch on Earth Day in 2014, we have worked collaboratively with more than 125 organizations, including environmental nonprofits, community development organizations, farmers and land stewards, impact investors, foundations, Read More
Blog | Voices from the Field

Giving Circle Spotlight: Ecowomanist Institute ELM Giving Circle

November 24, 2021 | Veronica Kyle, Valerie Hill Rawls
Grapevine, an online platform for giving circles, interviewed one of its community members to shed light on their origin story, the power of giving together, and how they have built community. We’d love to hear your origin story. How did your giving circle come to be?  The giving circle came as a result of our inaugural Southeast Region EcoWomanist Institute Read More
Blog | From NCFP

Trust-Based Philanthropy: Shifting Power to Communities

November 23, 2021 | Nicholas A. Tedesco, Shaady Salehi
This article was originally published by Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions and is re-posted here with permission. Philanthropy is a complicated pursuit. Donors are committed to supporting their grantees to advance social progress, yet they hold a disproportionate amount of power, and operate within an inherently inequitable system that often perpetuates harm. Foundations and donors have virtually all the Read More
Blog | Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Family Philanthropy Speaks: A Conversation with Vilas Dhar

November 22, 2021 | Vilas Dhar, Nicholas A. Tedesco
Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, joins NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco for a Family Philanthropy Speaks episode on data science, artificial intelligence, and the foundation’s recent merger. Hear about the innovative strategies the McGovern Foundation is using to tackle social issues.  Philanthropy is a practice borne out of compassion and commitment—and one that is Read More
Blog | From NCFP

Ginny’s Governance Checklist Part 4: Ensuring Board Vitality: Communications, Committees, and Renewal

November 18, 2021 | Virginia M. Esposito
The Governance Checklist blog series is a practical guide to building and maintaining the best possible family foundation board. Framed around a series of questions, the Checklist can inform and help shape a discussion or series of discussions about the founding of a new board. It can also serve as a useful tool for a healthy, and well-advised, reconsideration of Read More
Blog | Voices from the Field

Tough Talk

November 17, 2021 | Stephanie Ellis-Smith
This article was originally published by Phila Engaged Giving and is re-posted here with permission. Having tough conversations are often a necessary part of social change — both in funding it and in carrying it out. But how do we have a tough discussion that gets our point across without it coming across as a personal affront? I was recently asked to present Read More

Stephanie Ellis-Smith

November 17, 2021
Stephanie Ellis-Smith is the CEO and owner of the philanthropic advisory firm Phīla (pronounced phyla) Engaged Giving and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) . She works with ultrahigh-net-wealth and high-profile individuals, families, foundations and corporations to make catalytic investments in people and organizations. Stephanie and her husband Douglas Smith started the Rockhaven Fund in 2008 to fund the arts, humanities, Read More
Blog | Voices from the Field

Prepare for Ethical Dilemmas on Family Boards

November 16, 2021 | Mary Phillips
This article was originally published by GMA Foundations and is re-posted here with permission. Many family foundations have taken the time to develop a values statement that guides board behavior and decisions.  While a board may have this deeply-held set of values, the board members might not always agree on how to interpret them. Reality can be complex, and gray Read More