Family philanthropy and community foundations

What tools and resources do other community foundations use in their philanthropic advising? What facilitation techniques do they use? How are they marketing their services? One of the takeaways from this year’s Community Foundations Network Workshop was that members want to share the resources that they use in their philanthropic advising work with colleagues at other community foundations. By sharing what works… Read More

How can community foundations use impact investing strategies to amplify their mission and create change within their communities? Join Dr. Stephanie Gripne, CEO of the Impact Finance Center (IFC), for an introduction to: impact investing, financial innovation, and full spectrum capital. Discover how IFC supported community foundations in identifying impact investment opportunities within their grant portfolios and donor advised funds using… Read More

Community foundations have been serving giving families for many decades. Recently more and more community foundations have been re-examining how they are promoting the philanthropic services they offer to donor families. How have community foundations successfully marketed their services to encourage families to partner with them on their philanthropy? What are the changes that some community foundations have made that… Read More

The United States is navigating a critical moment in our history as core principles and structures of democracy are under attack. The hyperpolarization of public discourse leaves smaller ground for effective policy formation on any issue. At the same time, however, there are movements across the country that are working to bridge divides, shore up and strengthen justice and equity… Read More

As philanthropic services staff at community foundations, we’re called to play many, sometimes conflicting roles: order taker, steward, expert consultant, facilitator, influencer, salesperson, consigliere, and more. How can we effectively clarify and balance the expectations of these roles within and across the families we support? Can we be trusted advisors while influencing families’ giving in ways that align with our… Read More

Focusing on engaging successor generations and youth, this session will provide peer learning and connection based on experience with philanthropic advising for multi-generational families. Bring a challenge, a recent success or a 2024 goal to share with your peers. We will divide by experience level using breakout rooms and then have time for sharing insights learned with the larger group… Read More

Intentional learning and right-sized assessment are hallmarks of effective philanthropy. Donors and foundations frequently ask such questions as: What impact have grantees had? Are we reasonable in our expectations of that impact? Are we making progress toward our goals and vision? Are we improving in our ability to govern and manage our work as a family? Community foundation staff often… Read More

The wealth management industry has steadily increased fee-based advisory services, complementing or entirely replacing income earned from assets under management. Two drivers of this shift are the competition from lost-cost investing options shrinking firms’ profit margins, and the interest of rising generations and mass-affluent clients in fee transparency. Community foundations have also been experimenting with fee-based advisory and grantmaking services,… Read More

The demand for philanthropic advice is increasing and, in response, more firms and organizations are hiring advisors to wealthy donors and families. However, our field of philanthropic advisors and consultants is a beautiful mess of talents, perspectives, responsibilities, and expectations. In October 2022, the American College of Financial Services convened 50 experts and practitioners to envision a more cohesive future… Read More

Families often balance giving based on shared purpose and priorities with allowing members to pursue individual interests and goals. The tension between those two goals increases as new voices join the decision-making—spouses/partners, younger generations, non-family advisors, and more. NCFP and Lansberg Gersick Advisors (LGA) recently completed a study of how families navigate the tension and successfully sustain collaborative philanthropy. LGA… Read More