Getting Started

Community Foundations Topical Call: Philanthropic Advisor Competencies

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Dien Yuen, JD/LLM, CAP®, AEP®,, Tony Macklin

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

Understanding Purpose Trusts: Advantages and Disadvantages

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Zoe Schlag, Susan Mac Cormac

Purpose trusts have been around for centuries. However, most practitioners are far more familiar with charitable trusts. Enforced in the UK by chancery courts since the 15th Century and adopted unto the US into the Uniform Trust Code in 2000, charitable purpose trusts have been established to advance identified charitable purposes (instead of specific beneficiaries) but are limited in time,… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Cricket Island Foundation

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

What It Looks Like When a Multigenerational Family Foundation Makes All Voices Equal Therma-Tru Corporation was a family-owned business whose bread and butter was manufacturing exterior and entry doors. The Midwestern company traces its roots to the 1960s, when David Welles, a retired Owens Corning executive, purchased a bankrupt building supply company in Toledo, Ohio. The company eventually patented its… Read More

Executive Summary—Philanthropy in Complex, Multi-Generational Families: Balancing Individual Preference with Collective Purpose

Posted on April 12, 2023

fall leaves
Researchers from Lansberg Gersick Advisors consider how the family foundation’s design and operation is informed by—and informs—the family’s philanthropic activities that take place outside of it. The purpose of this study is to help families understand how they can design their family philanthropy to best meet their goals.    The study’s standout finding was that the creation of a robust family… Read More

Full Report—Philanthropy in Complex, Multi-Generational Families: Balancing Individual Preference with Collective Purpose

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Ashley Blanchard

Tree in field
Researchers from Lansberg Gersick Advisors hypothesized that families’ abilities to work together effectively in their philanthropy is dependent not only on the way they design their collective family foundation, but also in how they structure the philanthropic activities outside of it. From 2018-2022, they conducted surveys and interviews and found that as families evolve, they face common dilemmas regarding their… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Woodcock Foundation

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

The Evolution of the Woodcock Foundation: A Progressive Family Funder Branches Out Polly W. Guth was an heir to one of the founders of the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. She was also an active philanthropist, heavily involved in groups like Planned Parenthood of New York City and Asia Society. In 1996, Guth founded the Woodcock Foundation, which has awarded over… Read More

International Grantmaking: Navigating the Challenges of Legal and Regulatory Barriers

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Jessie Krafft

Donors who give to projects and partners outside of the United States have the opportunity to make real and lasting impacts in communities. But when foundations want to make grants to non-501(c)(3)s, the rules governing cross-border funding can be complex. Join this webinar to learn how to support foreign grantees while managing risk, complying with the regulations governing this work,… Read More

International Grantmaking: Trusting Relationships are Critical to Success

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Ashley Barrett, Sylvia Brown, Jenny Kelly, Kimberly Myers Hewlett

Systemic challenges, such as climate change, racial justice and gender equity, exist beyond the borders of the United States. Philanthropic families seeking to ramp up their international giving face a variety of challenges and opportunities, including identifying partner organizations and building trusting relationships with them. Join us to learn how to be an effective international funder and concrete steps to… Read More

Community Foundations Topical Call: Balancing Individual and Collective Giving in Families

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ashley Blanchard, Tony Macklin

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

Community Foundation Spark Session: Guiding Donors on the How and Now of Philanthropy

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Rebekah Allison, CAP®, Ayanna Wakefield, Brennan Gould, Nicholas A. Tedesco, Tony Macklin

Compass guiding donors in philanthropy
Our communities face many complex and interconnected challenges. Most require us to confront racial, economic, and other inequities. We’re also living in an era of massive wealth creation and wealth transfer. More donors have the resources to meaningfully address those challenges. But the how and now of their philanthropy matters more than ever. Community foundations have an incredible opportunity—and perhaps… Read More

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