Board selection, training, roles, and responsibilities

Trends 2020: Community Interaction & Communication

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 external communications, communications tools, outside perspectives, and much more. Increasingly, family foundations are finding new ways to communicate and engage with the communities they support. Many families are also considering the benefits of being more transparent with their philanthropy, but others feel that… Read More

Good Governance: Basic Rules For Governing A Family Foundation

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Robert H. Hull

Once the donor has determined the most appropriate giving mechanism, such as a private foundation, the board of trustees begins to play a role in governance. Usually with the guidance of the donor, the board sets policy for managing foundation affairs, investing the endowment's portfolio, and making grants… Read More

Family Philanthropy Board Chairs: Leading with Joy and Effectiveness

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

Two white women sit at a table, looking off camera to illustrate the Passages issue brief on Board Chairs
A board chair is perhaps the most important and meaningful job in any family foundation. If you are currently chair—or anticipate that you will be someday—you may find it’s one of the most rewarding roles you will ever have. It’s also a role of great nuance, calling for keen facilitation, leadership, and a healthy dose of self-awareness—a combination that’s not always easy to find… Read More

2018 Trustee Education Institute: The Signature Seminar for Family Foundation Board Members

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Virginia M. Esposito, Andrew Schulz, David Grant, Hanh Le, Holli Rivera, Alice Buhl, Leticia Peguero, Lindsey Griffith, Mary Phillips, Nat Chioke Williams

NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the key legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members. Featuring a faculty made up of NCFP’s senior staff and highly respected philanthropy experts, this three day, intensive seminar typically covers: What does it mean to be a steward of both the public’s trust… Read More

Recommended Best Practices in Managing Foundation Endowments

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Council on Foundations

While foundations differ in sophistication, resources, staff, and amount of financial resources, there are both specific responsibilities incumbent on foundation boards and generally accepted principles for investment management. These best practices are universal to effective management of investment portfolios as applied to fit the specific circumstances of each foundation… Read More

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