Friends Focus highlights updates from members of our Friends of the Family network and their work. This month features updates from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Frist Foundation, Grunin Foundation, McKnight Foundation, and Walton Foundation.
Are you a current Friend or Leadership Circle member of NCFP with an update or good news about your foundation that you would like to share with Family Giving News readers? Please email us. Interested in learning more about the families involved in NCFP’s Friends of the Family network? Go here.
Lauren Dachs Writes Farewell Letter as the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Closes its Doors.
Dachs writes, “This transformation was as exciting as it was demanding. Spending down is a dynamic, at times dizzying, process. The Foundation kept balanced by anchoring its actions in four core values: integrity, excellence, optimism, and respect.”
Patricia Frist, a well-known Nashville philanthropist and business advocate, has died at 81.
On January 5th, Patricia Frist died in Nashville, TN. Frist helped create the HCA Foundation in 1982, which was later renamed the Frist Foundation. “She always put the needs of family, friends and the community before her own,” the obituary said.
Grunin Foundation President Jeremy Grunin Discusses Using Philanthropy to Drive Economic Excellence.
Tapinto recently interviewed Jeremy Grunin, president of the Grunin Foundation, about the beginnings of the foundation, his passion for the arts, and the foundation’s purpose for the community.
McKnight Announces New Program Director of Midwest Climate & Energy
McKnight is pleased to announce that Sarah Christiansen has been selected to serve as program director of the expanding Midwest Climate & Energy program. With a career that spans more than 30 years, Christiansen is a seasoned philanthropic leader dedicated to finding multiple pathways toward achieving an equitable and carbon-neutral economy.
Philanthropies Condemn Political Violence, Call on Leaders to Protect Democracy and Get Back to the People’s Business
NCFP, several Friends of the Family, and other philanthropic institutions have signed a letter condemning the recent acts of political violence.
The Walton Foundation Speaks with Liz Thompson about Investing in the Genius of Black Educators.
Launched with seed funding from the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education and the Walton Family Foundation, the 1954 Project aims to to support Black educators and education leaders across the country. Melinda Wright spoke with the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education co-founder Liz Thompson about about her passion and vision for the 1954 Project