Is Spending Down Right for Your Philanthropy? How to Make the Decision and What to Consider in the Process

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Anne Marie Toccket, Priscilla Enriquez, Glen Galaich

Interested in learning more about spending down? Join our Strategic Lifespan Peer Network. Many in this group have decided to operate with a limited lifespan. Others are thinking about the decision to spend down. Key Moments from the Webinar 00:00 Introduction 06:15 Introduction to the McClatchy Foundation 08:18 Introduction to the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh 09:32 Introduction to the Stupski… 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

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

Operationalizing Equity Practices

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Alison Upton López, Dwayne Patterson, Lorena Gomez-Barris, Angelique Power

Equity vs equality family philanthropy
For funders seeking to incorporate an equity lens throughout their work (and not just their grantmaking), there are many opportunities to shift internal operations towards more equitable and values-aligned practices. Yet while many families recognize the desire to make these shifts, they need further guidance around the specific decisions and considerations that will advance their philanthropy towards a more equitable… Read More

Developing a Purpose-Aligned Budget

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Suki O’Kane, Eric Stephenson, Lori Bezahler, Liz Sak

Developing a Purpose-aligned Budget
A yearly budget can appear rather cut and dry, but depending on who makes decisions about the budget and how these choices are made, there will be wide-ranging implications for the philanthropy’s grantmaking and spending policies. Budget decisions should also be informed by the collective values and purpose of a philanthropy, and not just the financial aspects. What are the… Read More

Your Impact Strategy Doesn’t Stop at Your Grantmaking

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Dr. LaTonya Penny, Meg Baesmith, Tony Macklin

Your Impact Strategy Doesn’t Stop at Your Grantmaking
While grantmaking is often the main tool funders think about in terms of impact, there are many other innovative ways to use your time, relationships, and resources to support your nonprofit partners and the communities you serve. Funders can leverage their established platform to spread the word about needed support and convene important partners, or can provide additional capacity to… Read More

Internal Evaluation and Learning

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Brittany Green Daniels, Arturo Garcia, Bruce Karmazin, Prentice Zinn

A family philanthropy has a much better chance of success if there is an intentional culture that values continuous improvement, feedback and professional development, and an integrated approach of learning and assessment across governance, philanthropic strategy, succession, and more. The assessment process asks organizations to evaluate their philanthropic purpose, governance, team, accountability, finances, and family—to answer how you can continually… Read More

Listening and Feedback: Tools to Assess Your Philanthropy

Posted on December 15, 2022 by C. Davis Parchment, Yvonne Belanger, Brenda Solorzano

Listening and Feedback: In Family Philanthropy
How can you elicit and act on feedback from your grantees and other external stakeholders? For all funders, gathering feedback is a helpful practice to understand how your work is impacting your grantees—and how you can more deeply incorporate the perspectives and experience of your partners and communities you serve. There are a number of tools available to facilitate this… Read More