Non-Family Staff Peer Network: Supporting Family Engagement and Philanthropic Impact through Conflict and Systems

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Rebecca Trobe

There are many priorities to consider when balancing family engagement with philanthropic impact. How do you navigate your role as a non-family staff leader? And how can you work with your board to develop systems that support formal and informal decision making to advance the foundation’s mission and goals? Join Dr. Rebecca Trobe for an interactive discussion. Dr. Trobe works… Read More

Board Chair Peer Network: Supporting Your Executive Director and Staff Team

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Jean Whitney, Jim Parsons

Relationships between board and staff are vital to success, effectiveness, and a positive organizational culture for the team and the family. How do you support your executive director through reviews, regular connections, and planning support? How do you intentionally connect with the executive director and staff team? Can you create a two-way street to encourage communication, partnership, and best practice… Read More

Pluralism in Family Philanthropy: Navigating Tensions and Bridging Divides for Impact

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Uma Viswanathan, Tegan Acton, Heather Templeton Dill, Brian Hooks, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Group of people of on top of the mountain at sunset
In an increasingly divisive society, people are facing complex, challenging dialogues around politics, ethics, and social issues, struggling to manage perspectives across the political aisle and facilitate healthy discourse with multiple viewpoints. What is taking place on a macro scale is mirrored within individual families—difficult conversations, distinct political and cultural divides, and in many cases gridlock or an inability to… Read More

Application Deadline: Racial Justice Learning and Action Cohort

Posted on January 11, 2022

The Racial Justice Learning and Action Cohort is an educational opportunity for family foundation trustees interested in advancing racial justice practices, both personally and professionally. Philanthropy has been slow to embrace equity and it is clear that effective and meaningful impact can only be realized with an active commitment to racial justice. The National Center for Family Philanthropy is committed… Read More

Interview Questions for Anti-Racist Consultants

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Andrus Family Fund, Surdna Foundation

A collection of questions created by the Surdna Foundation and Andrus Family Fund to help interview and screen candidates to serve as anti-racist consultants for a foundation’s management, governance, and grantmaking practices. Also included is a rubric of characteristics and experiences to look for in potential candidates… Read More

Lessons from Family Philanthropy: The Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Launching a family foundation is often the expression of donors’ desires to establish a lasting legacy and to instill in future generations the importance of giving. But family foundations face certain common pitfalls as well. They may initially unite family members through a shared sense of mission that could become less shared as the family grows and diffuses over time… Read More

Board Chair Peer Network: A Discussion About Racial Justice

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Maggie Lear, Sarah Robinson

Join Maggie Lear and Sarah Robinson to discuss racial justice journeys, practical next steps, and family discussions. Both speakers participated in the NCFP Racial Justice Learning & Action Network. They have had different journeys and will share their experiences as funders and personally. Brainstorm with the group about practical ways to activate in your foundations around racial justice. In this… Read More

Practicing the Equitable Evaluation Framework™

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Katy Pelissier, Kimberlee Salmond, Henriët Hendriks, Marcia Coné

As philanthropy evolves and moves to centering equity, assessment, research, learning, and evaluation strategies must also evolve. What is the Equitable Evaluation Framework (EEF) and how do we engage with the EEF? Join your colleagues in a conversation about how they are seeding and growing a field of EEF practitioners to shift the paradigm. About this Series The monthly Fundamentals… Read More

Governance Practices for Better Decision Making

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Kerry Ellington, Connie Malloy, Lisl Schoepflin, Miki Akimoto, Laura McCargar

conference, meeting
Governance practices of philanthropic families are evolving to include more diverse voices and perspectives. Two common pathways for donors to become more informed and proximate to the communities they partner with include: the appointment of an expert or community advisory committee to guide social impact strategies and decisions, and appointing independent board members. What are the considerations a family must… Read More