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

Family Philanthropy Through the Family Office (Full Report)

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Anne Etheridge

This special Passages report is based on results of the first national study to explore the relationship between family offices and family philanthropy, identifying common themes for both success and failure. As a benchmark report for the field, the study draws on personal interviews and results from a survey of family offices to highlight emerging best practices by which family foundations and family offices can effectively work together to maximize the positive returns for the community and the family… Read More

Impact Investing and Family Philanthropy: a One-Two Punch

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Julia Balandina Jaquier

Interest in impact investing among wealth holders, their foundations, and family offices continues to grow. As a means for providing capital to for-profit ventures with a social mission, impact investing is increasingly viewed as an effective solution for combining the philanthropic aspirations of wealthy families with their financial objectives… Read More