Voices from the Field

“When you read about these near misses [of stable democracies staving off authoritarian threats], two factors prove decisive again and again: when a society’s elite stands up to an authoritarian faction, using their power to beat it back, and when the mass public organizes and demonstrates in favor of democracy.” – Zack Beauchamp, American democracy is tottering. It’s not clear… Read More

We sat down with Noa Staryk, board chair at McKnight Foundation, to learn more about their nation-leading approach to climate philanthropy. From grantmaking to investment strategies, Noa provides sharp insights and inspiration for other funders looking to join the movement. Please visit our Climate Change Content Collection if you are interested in learning more. NCFP: Can you tell me a bit… Read More

Delaplaine Foundation, a private family foundation with deep roots in the Frederick, Maryland community, has been dedicated to making a positive difference in Frederick County and beyond since its inception in 2001. The name Delaplaine has been synonymous with philanthropic giving reaching back more than a century, and the foundation has awarded over $20M in grant funding to more than… Read More

This article was originally published by the Surdna Foundation and is re-posted here with permission. Have you ever had food stuck in your teeth and only found out when you looked in the mirror hours later? If you’re like us, you probably thought, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” The truth is that it’s tricky to give honest feedback to the people… Read More

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on the many forms of family philanthropy, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and produced by Inside Philanthropy’s editorial team. In 1937, Paul Lamfrom fled Nazi Germany and later founded Columbia Hat Company, a modest hat manufacturer in Portland, Oregon. When Paul passed away, the company’s reins… Read More

This article was originally published by Alliance and is re-posted here with permission. Love the intention—but let’s make sure you get it right. These days, the word ‘participation’—or rather, its sophisticated cousin ‘participatory‘—is tossed around the social impact space like the word ‘organic’ in a hipster grocery store. Everyone wants to do a participatory process because they understand why it’s a smart… Read More

This April, Muslims around the world are observing the holiday of Ramadan—a month-long period of fasting from dawn to sundown, and of thinking of others, and of giving back. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in the Muslim faith, as well as my own. When I was a child, the month before Ramadan, my immigrant parents would sit at the kitchen table… Read More

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on the many forms of family philanthropy, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and produced by Inside Philanthropy’s editorial team. The Sobrato Organization in Silicon Valley has developed more than 21 million square feet of office space, R&D and multi-family projects since the 1960s. Today, the company’s… Read More

This article was originally published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. A recent report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) titled Overlooked (Part 1): Foundation Support for Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders and Communities highlighted, as one of its key findings, that AAPI nonprofit leaders report having less positive experiences with their foundation funders… Read More

Collaboration in family philanthropy requires a deep, often emotional, commitment as it relates both to the individual and their family legacy. In our conversations with over 25 innovative philanthropic and socially-minded organizations (some of whom are listed at the end of the full article in the Knowledge Center)  experts shared many stories about families who see philanthropic collaboration as an… Read More