NCFP Blog

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

This article was originally published by Inside Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. The transcribed conversation comes from a plenary session at NCFP’s 2021 CEO Retreat.  How well philanthropy responded to the events of the past 14 months—a period of so much trauma and suffering—is a topic sure to be debated for many years to come. And, of course,… Read More

Courtesy of fauxels from Pexels I have long sat at the intersection of philanthropy and technology. My parents started the Payne Family Foundation 25 years ago, committed to organizations focused on youth development, education and healthcare. At the heart of our giving is a relationship-based approach to support mission-aligned grantees with flexible capital and open communication lines, creating space to… Read More

This blog summarizes key notes from our May Fundamentals of Family Philanthropy webinar. Philanthropic families employ a wide range of models to make decisions—from unilateral authority to consensus. However, identifying the appropriate structure is often a challenge and can serve as a barrier to effective philanthropic practices. Developing an appropriate decision-making framework for distinct situations allows families to rely on… Read More

This article was originally published by Alliance Magazine and is re-posted here with permission. It can be easy to invest money in an attempt to fix problems. But money alone can’t build trust or change. That work starts with how you treat people. Fortunately, for the families of Detroit’s northwest neighborhood of Brightmoor, the network of providers and parents working to… Read More

Courtesy of the Movement Voter Project This past year has been one of landmark success for our democracy, despite (or perhaps to some extent because of) the uphill battle the pandemic presented in a presidential election year. In the fall we shared the Woodcock Foundation’s decision to increase our grantmaking budget in order to promote democracy and support organizations as… Read More

This article was originally published by Giving Compass and is re-posted here with permission. Giving Compass’ Take: • Nancy Rauch Douzinas encourages business, government, and philanthropy to form tri-sector alliances as the only way to truly respond to COVID-19. • How can tri-sector alliances expedite coronavirus response efforts? What are you doing to enhance collaborative efforts in your own organization? • Read… Read More