Advisors and Consultants

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

Fiduciary Responsibilities and Legal Basics in Family Philanthropy

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Jeannea Varrichio, Andrew Schulz

What are the basic fiduciary duties, governance policies, and legal responsibilities that each family philanthropy board member must understand and abide by? Join this session to better understand the fundamental and nuanced federal and state laws regulating charitable giving, including self-dealing, payout, fiscal agency, excise tax, required filings, and much more. Leading experts on family foundation tax law will make… Read More

Managing Family Dynamics in Governance

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Betsy Erickson, Katherine Lorenz

Reaching consensus is difficult, particularly during a decision-making moment that will have a real impact on your philanthropy. How do you have productive conversations during meetings and other decision points when there are relationship dynamics, conflict, or simply differences of opinion? How do you allow for individual viewpoints across generations, but ensure there is a framework in place to push… Read More

The Case for Multiple Giving Vehicles

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Ben Grande, Karl Mill, David Daniels

There is a range of vehicles available to engage the whole family in philanthropy—each vehicle is a tool in your philanthropy toolbox that allows you to reach individual or collective goals through different approaches. Giving families are increasingly using a variety of vehicles in concert with one another to advance their social impact strategies. A single philanthropic family could use… Read More

Demystifying Trust-based Practices: Trust in Action

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Kavi Waddell, Mark Rodriguez, Laura Jansen

Trust based philanthropy
The philanthropic sector continues to evolve, and many giving families are embracing a trust-based approach to their philanthropy—not only as a mindset, but as a guiding principle across their grantmaking, relationships, and operations. While many families are interested in and willing to adopt trust-based practices, it isn’t always clear how and when to utilize specific trust-based approaches and what they… Read More

The Essentials of Good Governance

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Ann Ziker, Gioia Perugini, Tom Zellerbach

Family Foundation Board Members Discussing Governance
Governance, a system for who will make decisions and how, is the guiding framework for your family philanthropy’s long-term success. There are many governance constructs that support an effective board, and different methods to engage family within each construct. But what are the common elements that contribute to an effective board across all governance constructs? In this webinar, learn the… Read More

Preparing for and Managing a Productive Board Chair Transition

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Sean Boyd, Pete Helsell, Sarah Walczyk, C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser

Board Chair Transition Family Philanthropy
A board chair transition is an important moment for a family philanthropy, often prompting larger decisions or a revisiting of the organization’s purpose and practices. All members of the board have a role to play in preparing for and managing these inevitable leadership shifts, and need clarity about the strategies that will prepare the organization—family, staff, and other stakeholders—for the… Read More

Balancing Individual and Family Interests in Collective Giving

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Ashley Blanchard

Multiple stones on left side balanced by single, larger stone on right side
For many, family philanthropy presents an opportunity to create a shared experience, unifying the family by working together toward a lasting legacy of impact. Family philanthropy can also give participants an opportunity to explore and cultivate their personal—and sometimes separate—philanthropic passions. There can be an inherent tension between these two goals, and many families struggle with how to address it—especially… Read More

Philanthropic Purpose, Motivations, and Values

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Nancy Bacon

For your philanthropy to be meaningful and effective, it is important to define, refine, and periodically revisit your philanthropic purpose: to understand your motivations for giving, the collective values that guide your philanthropy, and establish clarity around the various priorities and approaches your family will utilize in its giving. This interactive program is designed to both guide families through initial… Read More

Strategic Lifespan Peer Network: The Spend Down Journey—Timing is Everything

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Rhonnel Sotelo, Anne Marie Toccket, Priscilla Enriquez, Glen Galaich

The length of the spend down journey varies from foundation to foundation. The nature of decisions also varies depending on the length of time remaining in the foundation’s lifespan. What is top of mind at the different times of the spend down journey? What can a spend down foundation with more than 10 years remaining learn from a foundation with… Read More

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