What is family philanthropy?

Although the term is used widely, there is no standard definition of family philanthropy in the research literature. Nor is there a standard definition of family foundation, because this type of entity is not part of the Internal Revenue Service’s legal classification system for nonprofit organizations and foundations.

In practice, however, family foundation typically connotes the active involvement of donors or members of the donors’ family in the foundation. This definition becomes increasingly difficult to measure—especially over time as the original donors die and as donors’ descendants exhibit various levels of involvement with the foundation.

For the NCFP’s 2015 Trends Study, our research partner, the Urban Institute, relied on the Foundation Center’s definition of family foundation, which uses a multistep process to identify and to classify foundations as family foundations. This methodology includes self-designation by the foundation, computer searches to identify potential family members listed on the foundation’s board or leadership staff, and other matching strategies.

Explore the collection, Getting Started

Laying the Foundation Part One: Defining Family and Its Role

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Jensie Burton, Jeff Zeisler, Nicole Seawell, John Hicks

Join us as we explore fundamental questions in the context of family philanthropy: “Who is considered family?” and “What is the role of family in family philanthropy?”   As family philanthropies evolve, choosing how to define family—whether it includes lineal descendants or extends to spouses, chosen family, or others—is essential.  Families must also decide how and when to include community voices… Read More

The Future of Family Philanthropy: Positioning Families for Greatness

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Kimberly Dasher Tripp

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Philanthropic families are expanding their impact, knowledge of the field, and becoming increasingly sophisticated in their giving. There is further demand for philanthropic guidance and resources as donors and their families leverage multiple philanthropic vehicles, engage the next generation, and look to increase their payout rates or even spend down. NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco has spent the last… Read More

Opportunity of a Lifetime 2.0: Multigenerational Family Philanthropy

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Kylie Musolf, Danielle LaJoie

More than ever before, giving families are working to involve multiple generations in their philanthropy. According to the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s Trends in Family Philanthropy Study, nearly 3 in 5 U.S. family foundations engage younger family members in the foundation — and more than 40 percent say they expect to add to or increase the number of younger-generation… Read More

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