Strategic Lifespan Peer Network: Formulating Grantmaking Strategies with a Spend Down Mindset

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Gwyneth Tripp, Misty Avila

group of people brainstorming around table with papers and sticky notes
Once the decision has been made to spend down, foundation leaders must determine how their grantmaking efforts will need to change. How do you curate your programs and support and engage grantees during this spend down process? How does your impact or portfolio shift? Join Misty Avila, chief impact officer at the James B. McClatchy Foundation, and Gwyneth Tripp, director… Read More

Defining Your Family’s Philanthropic Purpose

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Fred Kaynor, Megan Costigan, Jean Buckley, Tony Macklin

illustrated image of people pushing together life-size puzzle pieces
What motivations and values drive your generosity? What priorities propel your social action? A clear philanthropic purpose defines why you want to make a difference and your priorities for where and who you most want to benefit. It improves family decision-making, community relationships, and impact. On this webinar, you’ll learn how you and your family can define your philanthropic purpose—shared… Read More

Rural Funders Peer Network Topical Call & Networking

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Erin Borla, Wynn Rosser

Join your peers to network and discuss topics of concern for philanthropic families who are place-based rural funders. As NCFP launches the Rural Funders Peer Network, we are pleased to offer this collaborative space for family funders working in rural areas to create connections and share strategies and stories with others across the country. This event will provide an opportunity… Read More

Rural Funders Peer Network: Rural Community Capacity Building

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Jerry Kenney, Emily R. Warren Armitano, Kathleen Flanagan

As funding flows into rural communities, the opportunity for these communities to access, deploy, and effectively manage these funds has risen as a pressing priority. The ability to assess community needs, design inclusive, ‘shovel-ready’ projects, and coordinate, write, and manage grant applications requires time, human capital, and resources that are hard to come by in overstretched rural communities. This discussion… Read More

Strategic Lifespan Peer Network: Investing with an End in Sight

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Emilie Cortes, Karie Dewan, Priscilla Enriquez

Planning to spend down is financially complex. It can be tough for board and staff to predict the financial future of the work. How do you plan for the funding needed for staffing, operations, and multi-year investments? While planning, how can you best make decisions to maximize the financial and social impact of your dollars? Join Emilie Cortes, trustee of… Read More

Breaking Up: Divorce in Family Philanthropy

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

This Passages guide is part one of a two-part series on divorce and division in family philanthropy, featuring tips for what board and staff members can do to prepare and cope. This first part includes case studies on family foundations who have navigated divorce, questions to consider when developing board policies, and perspectives on the implications of divorce on assets… Read More

Strategic Lifespan Peer Network: Spending Up, Committing to Increased Assets for Increased Impact

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Colleen O’Keefe, Pat Sauer

How are you thinking about your foundation’s assets, the challenges and inequities in our world, and supporting timely problems? In 2021, the Sauer Foundation shared, “the assets of the foundation would increase from $28 million to $100 million, and that amount would be invested in the community over the next 10 years.” This foundation’s gift to spend up and make… 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

Making Space for Youth Leadership

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Charlotte Cottier, Tracy Wasden, Marlene Corrado, Alexis Marion

There are many different strategies and formats to engage the next generation of youth in family philanthropy. Yet in all cases, younger members of the next generation need opportunities to take leadership roles that help them learn new skills, gain relevant experience in philanthropy, and hone their own practices and interests before taking on leadership as adults. Join us for… Read More