From NCFP

Navigating Climate Change Philanthropy 

Posted on March 16, 2023

Youth march in support of the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act . Credit Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition
Funding to combat climate change can feel overwhelming. Tony Macklin outlines pathways that families can take to having an impact on climate through learnings from the “Climate and Family Philanthropy” session at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy.  In multiple polls, most Americans say they believe in the risks of climate change and think our society needs to do… Read More
From NCFP

Avoiding Avoidance: Managing Healthy Family Conflict

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Tony Macklin

A man stops dominos falling with his hand.
Avoiding conflict can often seem like the easiest path to take, but if families are to truly practice effective family philanthropy they must deal with conflict head on. Tony Macklin outlines how families can better approach this issue. Disagreements between two or more people are about what they want to happen next. The participants can typically resolve the dispute without… Read More
From NCFP

Philanthropic Purpose in Action

Posted on January 25, 2023

Philanthropic purpose matters whether you are just beginning your work or are a long-established family philanthropy. But what are the benefits of articulating your philanthropic purpose and what does it look like in action? We explore how The Helen J. Serini Foundation has used its core values to guide its work and how the David Rockefeller Fund revisited its philanthropic… Read More
From NCFP

Building and Maintaining Successful Board Chair-CEO Relationships

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Tony Macklin

Liz Bonner, Nat Chioke Williams, Diane Kaplan, and Adam Gibbons speaking at Building and Maintaining Successful Board Chair-CEO Relationships at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy
NCFP Senior Program Consultant Tony Macklin attended NCFP’s 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy. Read on for Tony’s takeaways from Building and Maintaining Successful Board Chair-CEO Relationships. “Will you let the other person be a whole person—be who they really are?” That question came early in a session about the relationship between foundation board chairs and CEOs at the 2022… Read More
From NCFP

Powering Possibilities: In Community and for Community

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

Two attendees shaking hands at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy
Amazing things happen when people come together in community. Mutual aid groups support local communities with access to food and needed resources. Donor collaboratives now give over $2 billion annually. Community Advisory Councils are breaking from the traditional philanthropic mold of family philanthropy governance and expanding knowledge and connection to the communities they serve. In my personal and professional life… Read More
From NCFP

Five Questions for Kelly Nowlin

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Kelly D. Nowlin

Kelly Nowlin Speaking at the NCFP 2022 Forum in San Francisco
Anniversaries are times for reflection on and celebration of the past, as well as opportunity to imagine the future. As NCFP celebrates our 25th anniversary, we are speaking with community members about their reflections on the evolutions of their own philanthropy, the sector, and NCFP as well as their hopes for the future. Kelly Nowlin is the current chair of… Read More
From NCFP

Supporting Systems Change

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Tony Macklin

An attendee at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy asks a question on systems change
NCFP Senior Program Consultant Tony Macklin attended NCFP’s 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy. Read on for Tony’s takeaways from Funding Movements for Systems Change: There is a role for every type of funder. “We want to get to the root of the problem, not just fund the symptoms.” “We should go upstream and prevent these things from happening.” I… Read More
From NCFP

The Work of a Lifetime: Reparative Philanthropy, Relationships, Healing, and Joy

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Miki Akimoto

Editors note: These reflections are rooted in a discussion called, Reparations: The Opportunity for Family Philanthropy to Advance Healing and Repair at the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy. Money saves lives. This is a stark reality that underpins the inequities of our society and history. In the 1930s, Alan Preston’s parents, German Jews, were able to escape Nazi Germany… Read More
From NCFP

How and Now Matter: Reflections from the 2022 National Forum on Family Philanthropy

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

Every two years the family philanthropy community gathers for reflection and inspiration at the National Forum for Family Philanthropy. San Francisco hosted our latest summit a few short weeks ago—marking the 25th anniversary of the organization and the first in-person event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event brought into focus the moment of shift we are experiencing… Read More