Data, impact, and assessment

The Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation

Posted on December 5, 2017 by W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The evaluation profession is multi-faceted and can be characterized partly by its theoretical debates, ethical considerations and proprietary interests. What is evaluation and how can it help your organization? This handbook is designed to demystify evaluation and help you get the most out of evaluation for your organization… Read More

Policy Changes in the Pipeline: How Will New Proposed Legislation Affect Family Giving?

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jay Hutchins, John Mullaney, Sandra Swirski

Tax reform and policy changes are complex topics to understand. How can proposed tax reform affect the work of your foundation? What policies about charitable giving should giving families know about and consider? Are there steps giving families can take to prepare? Join John Mullaney, the Executive Director of the Nord Family Foundation as he interviews: Sandra Swirski, Executive Director… Read More

A Profile of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust’s story is the organization’s relative youth. The trustees hired their first full-time staff member only 10 years ago. In that short time, EFCT has surged to the front of the pack when it comes to supporting grantees to pursue higher performance. If you’re a funder, have you asked your grantees… Read More

What constitutes operating expenses for private foundations?

Posted on June 13, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Operating expenses, also known as overhead, are any cost associated with operating your organization. These costs can then be divided into two subcategories, direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs can be defined as any expense that is required to develop a project. Indirect costs are expenses that are not related to the actual project. Salaries and office rent are… Read More

Should our foundation focus on being “strategic” or “responsive” in our grantmaking?

Posted on June 9, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

When your board approves a grant, you are hoping and expecting that your philanthropic investment will make a significant impact. In order to become an effective grantmaker, your giving should always align with the core beliefs of your foundation. Beyond this, there are two common approaches that boards take when considering how to allocate the foundation’s resources: strategic or responsive. … Read More

Family Philanthropy and Media Perceptions

Posted on August 11, 2016 by David Callahan, Peter Panepento, Stacy Palmer

Family foundations are passionate and dedicated to improving their communities and leading conversations that will help advance their missions. But as they look to expand their work, many families have a hard time explaining their work to and building relationships with the media. Many foundations simply don't know where to begin… Read More

The Story of How the Civil Marriage Collaborative Helped America Embrace Marriage Equality

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Proteus Fund

There were many forces at work in this historic change: tenacious leaders and litigators, coalitions of diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations, straight individual and organizational allies, elected officials, celebrities, and most important, hundreds of thousands of individuals, couples and families at the grassroots level… Read More

Is there a database for donors to find great grants/nonprofits to fund?

Posted on July 21, 2016 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Every year, our family foundation considers new causes and grantees to support. Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, the foundation staff would like to know if there is a database or another resource that captures great grantseeker requests for funding. To our knowledge there does not (yet) exist a one-stop-shop for grantmakers looking to navigate requests for funding. However,… Read More

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