Voices from the Field

Funders Support Strong Communities Through Meaningful Relationships

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Amy Segal Shorey

Myron Miller, trustee of the Herman and Frieda L. Miller Foundation, sat among members of the clergy at an immigration rights event hosted by Massachusetts Communities Action Network—a faith-based organizing group. His presence in that setting was unusual for a trustee, but not at all surprising for a foundation that prioritizes community connections as the cornerstone for effective giving. “That… Read More
From NCFP

An Extraordinary Life: Remembering Anne Springs Close

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Virginia M. Esposito

The field of philanthropy lost one of its most remarkable leaders last month. So did the fields of conservation and environmental protection, those committed to racial and economic justice, children and families, and the people of South Carolina. And all was lost in the person of one small yet extraordinary woman, Anne Springs Close. The last opportunity I had to… Read More
From NCFP

Modeling Collaboration: New Partnership between Stanford PACS and NCFP

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Erinn Andrews

For the last few years, the Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative (EPLI) at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS) and the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) leadership teams have been meeting regularly as part of a number of sector collaboratives (the Impact-Driven Philanthropy Collaborative, Destination Impact, and Stanford’s own wealth advisor initiative) aligned around the shared mission of moving donors toward more effective giving… Read More
Network News

September 2021: News and Notes from NCFP’s Friends of the Family Network

Posted on September 8, 2021

Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. This month features updates from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Castellano Family Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, McKnight Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Stupski Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation. Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or… Read More
Voices from the Field

Discussing Wealth, #HalfMyDAF, & the State of Philanthropy: Q&A with Jen Risher

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Jennifer Risher

Jen Risher is the author of We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth, and co-founded the #HalfMyDAF initiative in response to the pandemic. In this blog, Jen shares her personal reflections on wealth, the impetus for starting #HalfMyDAF, and perspectives on the current state of philanthropy. Can you please share your story of coming into wealth? I am lucky… Read More
Voices from the Field

Video Highlights from the 2020 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Kimberly Myers Hewlett, Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Valerie Rockefeller, June L. Wilson

past TEI attendees
The Trustee Education Institute is one of NCFP’s signature events, offering family foundation board members and CEOs a comprehensive overview of family philanthropy trends and topics. Last year’s virtual Institute featured conversations on values, racial equity, board chair leadership, next-gen engagement, and much more. Here are short video highlights from a few of those sessions in 2020. Please visit the… Read More
Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Family Philanthropy Speaks: A Conversation with CC Gardner Gleser

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser

CC Gardner Gleser is the first non-family chair of the Andrus Family Fund and is the Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the Satterberg Foundation. In this Family Philanthropy Speaks conversation with Nick Tedesco, CC shares her path to philanthropy, how her own history intersects with the Satterberg family’s wealth creation, and the value of independent directors in the… Read More
From NCFP

Ginny’s Governance Checklist Part 2: Clarifying Foundation Needs and Board Member Expectations

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Virginia M. Esposito

The first installment of this blog series on building and maintaining your board focused on which principles will inspire and guide your governance policies and practices. These principles articulate critical issues of attitude and approach to governance and provide invaluable context for all board work. And while you likely are more than ready to start picking people, what are you… Read More
Voices from the Field

Are Foundation Trustees Perpetuating Climate Injustice? Here’s How We Can Change That.

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Kelly D. Nowlin, Ernest Tollerson

This article was originally published by Inside Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. The recent IPCC report couldn’t be clearer: The world needs wide-scale, transformative action, swift action, to ensure we don’t blow past the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius rise in average global temperatures. Mobilizing nations and market forces to achieve this goal, however, should not blot out America’s real-time responsibility to… Read More
Voices from the Field

Every Collaboration Needs Some Structure (Part 2 of 4)

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Debi Blizard, Zoe True

Courtesy of Kindel Media from Pexels As the second part of our series on 21st Century Collaboration, we explore a common tension that often arises for family foundations caught between a desire for open collaboration and a need for a clear governance structure. Our interviews with over 25 innovative philanthropic and socially-minded organizations (some of whom are listed at the… Read More