Courtesy of Christina Morillo from Pexels This article was originally published by The Center For Effective Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. A colleague recently asked me how much has changed since I wrote “The Dance of Deceit,” a 2004 Stanford Social Innovation Review article in which I reflected on my seven years as managing director of REDF and the power imbalances I… Read More

Courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash This article was originally published by Foundant and is re-posted here with permission. For families interested in engaging multiple generations in their philanthropy, younger family members need opportunities to learn and build skills and competencies necessary for future leadership. These skills and family philanthropy knowledge should be taught in tandem with a broader… Read More

The Juneteenth Legacy Project Mural. Courtesy of Reginald Adams. On Juneteenth, 2020 I received a call from Galveston historian, Samuel C. Collins. His call was in response to an op-ed published in the Galveston Daily News that day. In it, I wrote that white people must acknowledge systemic racism; to deny it exists is to be complicit. After the horror… Read More

Courtesy of Mikael Blomkvist from Pexels This blog summarizes key notes from our June Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy Webinar. A social impact strategy is the fundamental element of a family philanthropy effort. The practice of grantmaking actualizes the motivations of a donor, advances their values, and accomplishes their aims and objectives. However, it requires careful planning and consideration. A family… Read More

As philanthropists lean into global challenges like climate change and economic inequality, it is easy to see that no one person or organization can shift the tide on these issues by themselves. To move the needle on these complex problems we must understand how to work together better, both externally with our partners as well as internally across groups and… Read More

Photo via Adobe Stock Photos Understanding generational differences can be confusing (if we’re even thinking about it). Have you heard the ringing refrain “Ok Boomer!” or “Damn Millennials!”? We certainly have. For the first time in history, our family’s philanthropy has five unique generations working and serving together on boards: Traditionalists (b.1927-1946), Boomers (b. 1943-1963), Generation X (b.1964-1980), Generation Y… Read More

Courtesy of the Ruderman Family Foundation. From left to right is Sharon Shapiro, Jay Ruderman, and Shira Ruderman. “Do not go into business with family.” It is a common warning—and we could not disagree more. Our personal and professional worlds collided 20 years ago when we became sisters-in-law and, later, colleagues at the Ruderman Family Foundation. Growing up, both of… Read More