NCFP Blog

From NCFP

Values, Visions, and Vitality

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Virginia M. Esposito

Last week, the National Center for Family Philanthropy held its annual board retreat. We returned to The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in Tarrytown, New York for the first time since our first board retreat more than 15 years ago. We spent most of our first retreat developing our values statement and refining our mission and program agenda,… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Caroline Avery, The Durfee Foundation

Posted on March 15, 2013 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Editor’s Note: The National Center is delighted to partner in 2013 with the Bridgespan Group to feature videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. For our March edition in this series, we share Bridgespan’s interview with Carrie Avery, president of The Durfee Foundation and board chair of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. To learn more about the goals and… Read More
Ask NCFP

What Questions Should We Ask Our Auditors?

Posted on February 15, 2013 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Once again everyone’s favorite time of year has arrived, audit time! For many, this can be viewed as a daunting and even arduous process.  A family foundation in NCFP’s network of Friends who no longer cringes at audit time shares this list of questions to ask your auditor to ensure your organization has a clean financial bill of health. Questions for the Auditors Did management limit… Read More
Featured Article

Avoiding Leaky Pipes: Enhancing Collaboration Between Donors and Grantees

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Thomas Tierney

Editor’s Note: In this month’s FGN, Thomas J. Tierney and Richard M. Steele of The Bridgespan Group offer thoughts on how donors and grantees can overcome persistent traps to true collaboration, and get better results for society. The below article is adapted from their longer piece “The Donor-Grantee Trap: How ineffective collaboration undermines philanthropic results for society, and what can… Read More
Ask NCFP

How do I set priorities as the new CEO of a family foundation?

Posted on June 15, 2012 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Editor’s note: This article is excerpted from the new NCFP CEO Guide, Performance Review: The Complete Guide to Evaluating the Family Foundation CEO, volume 3 of our Family Foundation CEO Leadership Series. Setting priorities can be challenging for a new CEO, what with the myriad responsibilities of the job. When Kathleen Odne, the executive director of the Dean & Margaret… Read More
Featured Article

Getting Started with CEO Performance Review: Now’s the Time

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Susan Crites Price

Editor’s Note: This article is excerpted from NCFP’s CEO Guide, Performance Review: The Complete Guide to Evaluating the Family Foundation CEO. In a 2010 interview study of 60 family foundation chief executives by National Center for Family Philanthropy President Virginia Esposito, most told her they do not receive a formal performance review by their board. But when NCFP interviewed board… Read More
Ask NCFP

Can Private Foundations Serve as Fiscal Sponsors?

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Andras Kosaras

By Andras Kosaras, Associate, Arnold and Porter LLP Private foundations frequently receive grant applications from groups that are under the fiscal sponsorship of a section 501(c)(3) public charity.  But sometimes the request is for the private foundation itself to serve as a group’s fiscal sponsor.  Is a private foundation legally permitted to serve as a fiscal sponsor?  Why would a… Read More
Ask NCFP

How do we ensure that the family will not lose “control” of the foundation over time?

Posted on May 15, 2011 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

Our foundation has begun discussions to add nonfamily trustees to enhance and complement the skills and perspectives currently on our all-family board. How do we ensure that the family will not lose “control” of the foundation over time? There are a variety of strategies that family foundations around the country have used to retain control while engaging non-family board members… Read More

We’re here to equip you with the tools you need to make a meaningful impact. Contact NCFP for support.

Get in Touch

Keep up with trends in family philanthropy. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Signup

Gain access to personalized support and a network of peers. Join our community!

Join Now