Janice Simsohn Shaw

Facilitator & Consultant

Janice Simsohn Shaw is an adept, high-energy facilitator with 20 years of experience helping philanthropic and social change leaders to be better partners, listeners, and givers. She is a passionate and vocal advocate for the power of communal learning and action, proudly serving a diverse range of inspiring groups in helping move their work forward in meaningful ways.

As a consultant, she has designed leadership programs, facilitated convenings, meetings and retreats of all sorts, provided external grantmaking assessments, and trained others in the fine and fun art of facilitation – some of her very favorite work!

In the philanthropic sphere, Janice has designed and facilitated leadership development programs for Next Gen philanthropists and executive directors. Her writing has been published on a topics including capacity building, investing in non-profit leaders, program-related investments, facilitation, multi-generational philanthropy, and engaging young people in giving. She is a popular trainer at conferences in the sector.

Prior to her work in DC, she served the environmental field and the Jewish community, working for a number of non-profit organizations, and worked as a journalist and fact-checker. Janice studied at Skidmore College and Oxford University, and is a proud alumna of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS Alaska). She has training from The Social Transformation Project, the Interaction Institute for Social Change and the Center for Civic Reflection.

Contributions

Donor Legacy Discussion Modules

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Janice Simsohn Shaw

To help families begin or continue legacy conversations with a modern framework, this short guide offers a collection of ten discussion modules on a wide variety of questions related to philanthropic legacy… Read More

Five Levers of Legacy

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Vasser Seydel, Janice Simsohn Shaw, Sapphira Goradia

multigenerational family
Historically, legacy in family philanthropy has been considered from a retrospective point of view—as the culmination of the impact of a family and its philanthropic efforts. However, a new generation of leaders is redefining legacy to be formative, intentional, and continually refined. Join us for a conversation on the five levers of legacy and how to be more intentional about… Read More
Voices from the Field

Legacy in Family Philanthropy: A Modern Framework

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Janice Simsohn Shaw

Courtesy of Monstera From Pexels This blog post is excerpted from NCFP’s new report Legacy in Family Philanthropy: A Modern Framework Historically, legacy in family philanthropy has been considered from a retrospective point of view. From an external vantage point, legacy has often been seen as the sum philanthropic impact of a family, the culmination of its efforts. That is,… Read More

Legacy in Family Philanthropy: A Modern Framework

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Shira Saperstein, Janice Simsohn Shaw

Adult hand holding child's hand - legacy
Legacy is a fundamental consideration in the practice of effective family philanthropy, yet it remains one of the most ambiguous and often overlooked concepts in our field. Many families approach legacy with a retrospective lens—one that reflects on a philanthropic effort across a number of years or even generations. However, legacy is emergent and iterative. It ought to be considered… Read More

2020 Trustee Education Institute

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Christopher Fletcher, Jennifer Davis, Robin Snidow, Kathleen Simpson, Laura Collins, Paul Liu, Greg Ratliff, Tamara Larsen, Dana Lanza, Shaady Salehi

past TEI attendees
Attendees, please visit the event website for the most up-to-date agenda and Zoom links. The website passcode was emailed to all registrants. NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive introduction to important legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members. Featuring a faculty made up of donors, board members, and highly respected philanthropy experts, this… Read More

Community Foundations Family Philanthropy Network Topical Call: Virtual Facilitation (August 2019)

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Janice Simsohn Shaw, Danielle LaJoie, Katie Scott

Geographically dispersed donor families can often benefit from virtual facilitation when convening about their philanthropy. Join youth philanthropy alum Danielle LaJoie from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Janice Simsohn Shaw, facilitator and consultant, for tips and tools for virtual facilitation success… Read More