Positive Tracks: A Story of Generation Next Philanthropy

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Gioia C. Perugini, Nini Meyer

[Photo: Youth gather at the beginning of a Postive Tracks fundraising race.] Much has been written about the “next generation” and its integration into family philanthropy. How will they get involved? Will their philanthropic initiatives look different from those of their parents and grandparents? What tools and resources can help them be most effective? Nini Meyer was raised in a… Read More

A Legacy Lives On: The Kaplan Family Foundation’s Successful Leadership Transition

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Dinaz Mansuri, Mollie Bunis

[Photo: Members of the next generation of the Kaplan family gather to discuss strategy.] Ask any family member and they are usually able to identify the current family leader. This is the person around whom everyone gathers; the person who takes responsibility for family networking, intervenes in family disputes, reminds others of the family’s history and generally serves as the… Read More

Fast Forward to Greater Impact: The Power of Field Scans

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Christine Sherry

Field scans are emerging as a core tool for family funders inundated by increasingly larger numbers of nonprofits seeking funding, the ubiquity of social media pitches, and an almost limitless amount of data available on the web—data which can be more overwhelming than useful. Field scans are particularly valuable for family foundations that want to try a new strategy, find… Read More

Igniting the Spark: Greater Worcester Community Foundation

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Youth Philanthropy Connect

As a way to support the voice of youth in the community and engage donors, the Great Worcester Community Foundation adopted the Youth for Community Involvement (YCI) Program in 1999. YCI provides an opportunity for youth from schools across the area to build skills in leadership and philanthropy. The foundation set up a youth endowment to support the program and… Read More

Igniting the Spark: Creating Effective Next Gen Boards

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Andrea Hernandez Rodriguez, Katie Marcus Reker, Kevin Laskowski

This Passages Issue Brief introduces an increasingly popular method for preparing the next generation for philanthropic service: the next generation or junior board. The paper covers the variety of purposes for establishing next generation boards and how they are typically structured, explores how foundations use next generation boards as a tool for engaging younger family members, and describes options for preparing younger family members for governance and grantmaking… Read More

Over the River and Through the Woods: Geographic Dispersion in Family Philanthropy

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Evan Wood, Irene Siragusa, Jack Siragusa, Una O. Osili

With family members living far apart, what steps can families take to build family identity and bonds that once evolved naturally from living in close proximity? How can family members whose lives have taken different paths forge a genuinely collaborative team driven by a mission derived from and embraced by the family? How are families balancing the commitment to the foundation's "home town" and their growing concern for their own region?… Read More