Privacy and Transparency: Anonymous vs. Public Giving

Modesty may make some families reticent, but others point to the potential for good in the family name and reputation. Many families have learned to take explicit advantage of what can be a useful grantmaking tool. The family name can garner respect, or at least attention. It can act as an imprimatur of sorts, particularly when the family encourages grantees to let others know they fund them. This NCFP Content Collection provides context for new donors considering how public to be with their grantmaking, management and operations, and provides ideas for existing foundations and boards contemplating this question.

Tip: Check out the Policy Central: Grantmaking and Strategy collection for sample Publicity and Recognition policies.

Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities

Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities

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What choices do you have when it comes to transparency? How open and accessible is your family foundation—to the extended family, to grant seekers and partners, to the public? What approach do your colleague foundations take, and why? This guide examines how family funders are thinking, acting—and not acting—when it…

Transparency Case Study: Bush Foundation

Blog Post

What choices do family foundations and funds have when it comes to transparency? And what approaches do other families take when it comes to managing transparency, communications, and privacy? NCFP’s new guide, Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities examines how family funders are thinking about transparency.

Transparency Case Study: The Russell Family Foundation

Blog Post

What choices do family foundations and funds have when it comes to transparency? And what approaches do other families take when it comes to managing transparency, communications, and privacy? NCFP’s new guide, Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities examines how family funders are thinking about transparency.

Transparency Case Study: Barr Foundation

Blog Post

What choices do family foundations and funds have when it comes to transparency? And what approaches do other families take when it comes to managing transparency, communications, and privacy? NCFP’s new guide, Transparency in Family Philanthropy: Opening to the Possibilities examines how family funders are thinking, acting—and, in some cases, not acting—when…

Giving Publicly vs. Giving Anonymously

Should I Give Anonymously or Publicly?

Article

Whether or not you “go public” with your philanthropy is a matter of strategy and personal style. Ask yourself, given the change you want to see in the world, what’s the right approach? This short issue brief from the GiveSmart website provides a list of considerations for determining how publicly…

What is my giving style? Two considerations: Visibility & Impact

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This guide identifies two (among many) considerations that shape a philanthropist’s giving style. The first is the degree of visibility a donor wants (or does not want): at one end of the spectrum is the anonymous giver, and on the other end is the public advocate. The second consideration is…

Additional Views on Transparency and Anonymity

10 General Guidelines for Greater Foundation Transparency

Article

Given the immense diversity of foundations, it is a challenge to talk about any aspect of foundation behavior that goes beyond the minimum required in law and public policy to reach prescriptions for the behavior of foundations across the board.

Soliciting Grantee Feedback: a Benefit to Both Sides

Article

To best help the nonprofit organizations that we say we wish to serve, foundations must be prepared to invite open, honest feedback, consider it carefully, and then communicate findings and decisions back to the public.