Blog | Case Studies

The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies

May 15, 2007 | Kevin Laskowski
Charles Bronfman returned from a trustees’ meeting of the Mount Sinai Medical Center with an idea. Bronfman, Chairman and co-founder with his late wife Andrea of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, had heard of the Medical Center’s efforts in the emerging field of personalized medicine. Dr. Jeffrey Solomon, President of the Philanthropies, recalls, “He came back to the foundation Read More
Blog | From NCFP

Motivations for Board Service: Why Many Family Members Want In and Some Don’t Want to Leave

May 15, 2007 | Virginia M. Esposito
Many of the requests for help that come to me directly or as referrals from colleagues or National Center staff are about governance. When it comes to the fundamentally important issue of effective trusteeship – and appropriate foundation governance – the range of questions is startling and no question is insignificant. How do other foundations structure their boards? Should we Read More
Blog | Featured Article

Program and General Support: Choices for Giving Families

April 15, 2007 | Kevin Laskowski
In an ongoing salvo in the decades-long debate surrounding program and general operating support, a 2007 report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy charges: The grantmaking practices of a significant part of the foundation sector may be crippling small community-based and other nonprofit organizations because of one significant factor—the unwillingness of most foundations to provide general operating support to Read More
Blog | Featured Article

Geographic Dispersion: Opportunities for Far-Flung Families

September 15, 2006 | Kevin Laskowski
Among all the challenges that family philanthropies of all types face, giving families increasingly find themselves struggling with geography. In 2000, the National Center for Family Philanthropy and the Foundation Center found that the grants of a vast majority of family foundations were committed to a city, state, or region; only 7.8% of family foundations were classified as national or Read More
Blog | Featured Article

Six Simple Steps to a Successful, Stress-Free Family Meeting

May 15, 2006 | Sarah Trzepacz
Like so many other things preparation for a family meeting is vital to its success. With a little planning you can orchestrate and carry off a family meeting that accomplishes your philanthropic goals, strengthens your family’s commitment to effective governance of your giving vehicle, and is more enjoyable than you thought possible. By taking time to think through why, when, Read More