Designing Effective Board Meetings: Purpose, Outcomes, Process, and People

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Jason Belinkie, Bobbi Hapgood, Holli Rivera

boardroom
Board meetings serve as a touchpoint for engaged family members and decision makers to come together in service of a collective giving effort—to make choices about strategy, direct funding, and receive updates on the philanthropy. Board meetings can also provide a space for learning and education. Join us for a discussion on how to intentionally design meetings to engage family… Read More

Reducing the Administrative Burden through Fiscal Sponsorship

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Kyle Peterson, Yvonne Moore, Tony Macklin

Administration is often a hurdle to scaling impact. Because of this, an increasing number of donors are leveraging giving vehicles with less administrative burden and more legal, financial, and investment support. Fiscal sponsorships and other intermediary partners provide an option for giving families that want to build a philanthropic effort, but do not want to administer a separate entity for… Read More

Complexities of the Collective: Balancing Individual and Family Interests

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Melinda Oakes, Andy Klingenstein, Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Ashley Blanchard

stones balancing; balance
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 philanthropic passions. Yet there is an inherent tension between these two goals, and many families struggle with how to address it—especially as… Read More

Reflecting on Your Origin Story: Understanding Wealth, Legacy, and Equity

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Holley Fowler Martens, David Roswell, Katherine Lorenz

old photographs on table; genealogy; family tree
The criticism of wealth is longstanding and brings to the fore a conversation on justice that is important to reflect upon in the pursuit of effective family philanthropy. Though necessary, this type of reflection often raises a number of difficult questions that require philanthropic families to interrogate their history and reconcile the actions of their ancestors. Join us for a… Read More

Mapping Change: Using a Theory of Change to Guide Planning and Evaluation

Posted on October 26, 2021 by GrantCraft

This brief guide explains why grantmakers use theories of change to guide their questioning, unearth assumptions that underlie their work, establish common language, and develop strong action plans. Contributors to the guide also describe how a theory of change sets the stage for evaluation by clarifying goals, strategies, and milestones… Read More