Leaning into Racial Justice with the Surdna Foundation and Andrus Family Fund

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Carra Cote-Ackah, Kaitlin Miles, Nicholas A. Tedesco, Don Chen

Amid a national reckoning with race and the pandemic, foundations are leaning into racial justice like never before. Yet many foundations are grappling with how to fund racial equity and the best way forward for their institution and grantees. In this Community Conversation, the Surdna Foundation and Andrus Family Fund will explore their decision to increase funding for racial justice,… Read More

2021 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Isabel Nogueira, Alyson Wise, Jumi Falusi, Milton Speid, Emily Kaiser, Adrian Ruiz, Lisa Jackson, Priscilla Enriquez, Dorothy Gardner, Regan Pritzker

NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive overview of the important legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members and CEOs. Featuring the perspectives of innovative donors and a faculty made up of donors, board members, and highly respected philanthropy experts, this virtual seminar covers: Translating values and goals into action Connecting family legacy and… Read More

Board Chair Peer Network: Inaugural Meeting

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Jaimie Mayer, Gilbert Miller, Katherine Lorenz

For family foundations of any shape or size, the chair position can be one of great possibility, joy, and sometimes consternation! Come together for community, learning, and to share challenges and inspiration. In the inaugural meeting of this Peer Network, we will spend time connecting with peers in small breakouts, discussing joys, solutions, and challenges in large group discussion, and… Read More

Adopting Equity Practices

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Erin Kahn, Sindhu Knotz, June L. Wilson

man putting sticky notes on white board
There is an increasing recognition and understanding of the deep-seated structural inequities upon which the philanthropic sector and many other systems were built. Donors are moving away from the idea of racial equity and social justice as funding areas, and instead conceptualizing equity as a lens that spans grantmaking, governance, and management and operations. In this webinar, learn how to… Read More

Succession Planning and Family Transitions

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Peter Myers, Mary Sobecki, Mary Phillips

hand giving set of keys to another hand - succession, passing the baton, transition
Change is inevitable and can be especially complex in family philanthropy. There are a number of questions to explore to ensure the success of a collective giving effort. What are the anticipated moments of transition? What are the plans to navigate accordingly? Who is best suited—and prepared—to lead the family philanthropy effort moving forward? Is there a clear plan for… Read More

Demystifying Decision Making

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Laura Donnelley, Colleen Leth, Ann Shulman, Ashley Blanchard

feet on an arrow pointing different directions - decision, choice, option
Philanthropic families employ a wide range of models to make decisions—from unilateral authority to consensus. However, identifying the appropriate structure is often a challenge and can serve as a barrier to effective philanthropic practices. Developing an appropriate decision-making framework for distinct situations allows families to rely on an established and agreed-upon process to find a solution smoothly and expediently. Learn… Read More

Effective Governance: Principles, Policies, and Practices

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Virginia M. Esposito, Patricia Angus

board room, board meeting
Preview the conversation with “The Purpose and Power of Family Governance” by Patricia Angus. Family philanthropy is rooted in the act of collective decision making—one that is often codified in a formal governance structure. But what is governance and how can a family adopt its framework to effectively guide their philanthropy? Governance consists of three elements—principles, policies, and practices—that define… Read More

Racial Justice Framework

Posted on November 30, 2020 by CapShift

Capshift and TheCaseMade have built a framework to assess investment opportunities across all asset classes and to understand how they help Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities thrive and bring about structural change to advance racial justice. We present three categories of investments that support BIPOC communities; those promoting: 1) Diversity and Inclusion 2) Racial Equity 3) Racial… Read More