Voices from the Field

Breaking Up and Moving On: a Staff Member’s Perspective on the Dissolution of a Family Foundation

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Joel Luedtke

We knew the outcome before the votes were cast. The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation – the proud embodiment of a fortunate family’s abiding compassion – would be split apart. It was October 2010. As a relatively new staff member of the foundation, it was hard for me at that time to see much good coming of this decision… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Melinda Gates

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

Editor’s Note: The National Center has been delighted to partner in 2013 with the Bridgespan Group to share videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. In this month’s installment, our final in this series, we feature Bridgespan’s interview with Melinda Gates, board member and guiding force behind the world’s largest family foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As co-chair… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Carolyn and Peter Lynch

Posted on November 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 share videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. In this month’s installment, we feature Bridgespan’s interview with Carolyn and Peter Lynch, co-founders of The Lynch Foundation. Under Peter Lynch, Fidelity Investments’ then-obscure Magellan Fund rose from $18 million in assets in 1977 to… Read More
Voices from the Field

Family Philanthropy and Impact Investing

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

The field of mission-related investing or broadly termed ‘impact investing’ continues to build momentum as investment opportunities span multiple asset classes, infrastructure improvements promote transparency, and social entrepreneurs are building sustainable, scalable companies. To date, industry growth has been driven largely by institutional investors such as public sector pension funds, banks, and private foundations.  We are now seeing a growing… Read More
Voices from the Field

Implicit Bias Affects All of Us in Philanthropy

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Chaletta Huertas

Historically, only a small percentage of philanthropic dollars goes to communities of color, goes to organizations led by people of color, or comes from people of color.  For many people, the word ‘philanthropist’ itself conjures up images of elderly white gentlemen in business suits. Has this changed much in today’s society which some would call ‘post-racial’? No.  The Greenlining Institute… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Charles Bronfman

Posted on October 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 share videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. In this month’s installment, we feature Bridgespan’s interview with Charles Bronfman, son of Seagram Company founder and philanthropist Samuel Bronfman and founder, along with his wife, of The Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. During his… Read More
Voices from the Field

Philanthropy Meets the “Always On” Generation

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Susan Crites Price

Family and community foundations that want to engage youth in grantmaking need to adapt to  a new generation of kids, many of whom have already gone digital with their philanthropy. Dubbed the “Always On” Generation, today’s young people have discovered they can do good in the world without going through the usual channels of their counterparts even a decade ago… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Emmett Carson, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Posted on September 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 share videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. In this month’s installment, we feature Bridgespan’s interview with Emmett Carson, founding CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Carson has long been one of the field’s most prominent supporters for the power and flexibilty of community… Read More
Voices from the Field

Purpose, Being Human, and It’s Not All About Millenials- MCON13 Recap

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Derrick Feldmann

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to share this recap from the founder of MCON13, “a day of conversation and thought-provoking ideas shared by over 15 nonprofit, business and technology leaders that have successfully harnessed the Millennial generation for good.” By Derrick Feldmann “Why do you like charities?”  My dad asked me this question last week. My comment back took him… Read More
Voices from the Field

Giving while living: Jennifer and Peter Buffett

Posted on August 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 share videos from its Conversations with Remarkable Givers series. In this month’s installment, we feature Bridgespan’s interview with Jennifer and Peter Buffett, founders of the Novo Foundation. While Peter has been in the news lately for his New York Times critique of The Charitable-Industrial Complex,… Read More