NCFP Blog

At the very onset of this year’s 2021 Trustee Education Institute, David Callahan, founding editor of Inside Philanthropy, said that even before COVID-19 and the social and political unrest of the last several years, he was skeptical of philanthropy’s ability to shift: “I doubted that most foundations would ever be willing to change,” he said, “and yet many foundations have… Read More

This blog summarizes key notes from our September Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy Webinar. Giving families often reach a point where they grow their giving; however, it is often challenging to understand the practices that promote success. How do you develop an effective strategy and systems as your philanthropy expands? When does a philanthropic effort require staff and what are the… Read More

The Governance Checklist blog series is a practical guide to building and maintaining the best possible family foundation board. Framed around a series of questions, the Checklist can guide a discussion about the founding of a new board or a healthy, and well-advised, reconsideration of your board’s development and effectiveness. The first installment focused on the principles that inspire and… Read More

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

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