Board selection, training, roles, and responsibilities

Controversial grants policy (Roy A. Hunt Foundation)

Posted on July 19, 2003 by Roy A. Hunt Foundation

Harmonious agreement on grants is not always possible within a family foundation with diverse granting interests. Trustees sometimes struggle to develop strategies to guide the consideration process when points of view differ. This policy from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation provides a framework for managing “controversial grants” from the family board member perspective… Read More

Qualities of the Good Trustee

Posted on November 4, 2002 by John Nason

In ‘Foundation Trusteeship: Service in the Public Interest,’ John Nason revisited his exploration of the role of philanthropic governance that he began in his 1977 landmark book, ‘Trustees and the Future of Foundations.’ In his second volume, Nason offered a list of the ten qualities of a good trustee, provided here… Read More

Opportunity of a Lifetime: Young Adults in Family Philanthropy

Posted on October 4, 2002 by Alison D. Goldberg

This Passages Issue Brief addresses one of the most important opportunities in family philanthropy – encouraging young adults to take part in the family’s giving process and to become philanthropic in their own right. What are the reasons that families involve young adults? And what can young adults themselves do to become more connected to the family’s philanthropy?… Read More

Trustees by Margaret Mahoney

Posted on December 22, 1996 by Margaret E. Mahoney

This seminal essay from the long-time president of the Commonwealth Fund explores the critical roles and responsibilities of foundation trustees, and the duties of responsible boards of directors. Selected excerpts include: “To fulfill a trust, the trustee must act for the benefit of another, not for personal gain. Trustees are in effect moral decision makers.” “Responsible boards are not born… Read More

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