Nicholas (Nick) Tedesco is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP). NCFP serves as a hub of learning, connection, and collaboration designed to resource and activate a community of families to be intentional philanthropic stewards. Nick is a passionate advocate for philanthropy and brings over a decade of experience partnering with donors and their families to establish and meet their giving goals.

Prior to joining NCFP, Nick served as a Senior Advisor in the J.P. Morgan Philanthropy Centre where he provided clients with insights and services to help meet their philanthropic objectives through innovative advice, thought leadership and opportunities for learning and collaboration.

Previously, Nick served as a Relationship Manager at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he helped launch the Giving Pledge—an effort led by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. In this role, Nick managed relationships with current and prospective members of the pledge, as well as their staff and advisors. He helped to connect global philanthropists with one another in effort to exchange knowledge and encourage collaboration.

Nick began his career in the social sector as the Deputy Director of the Children’s Health Forum—a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and eradication of childhood diseases that disproportionately impact underserved communities.

Nick was named to the inaugural Chronicle of Philanthropy 40 Under 40 ranking in 2016 and the Nonprofit Times Power & Influence List in 2024. He was also named by Inside Philanthropy as the Best Guide to Family Philanthropy in 2023. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal MarketWatch, Time Magazine and other notable publications.

Nick received a B.A. from Villanova University and resides in Washington, D.C.

Contributions

Community Foundations Network Topical Call: Using the Family Giving Lifecycle Toolkit

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Tony Macklin

Community foundations are asked to guide families through many points of inflection and reflection in their philanthropic journeys. In those moments, families can embrace proven practices and advance momentum or stall out due to uncertainty and lack of clarity. How can you as a philanthropic advisor forecast those points of inflection and prepare your donors for more informed decisions? NCFP’s… Read More
From NCFP

Demystifying the Hidden Figure of ‘Effectiveness’

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

In philanthropy, effectiveness is our north star—it is the bar we measure ourselves against and the standard we strive to uphold. But what exactly does it mean to “successfully achieve an intended result” or “fulfill a specified function,” particularly when our structures, practices, and beliefs are called into question? What does it mean to be effective not just as funders,… Read More
From NCFP

Lead and Give with Bravery and Humility

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

Society is calling leaders to action: demanding fundamental changes in our mindsets, how we operate, and what we pursue. Responding to the call requires us to step into unknown spaces and discomfort and to go beyond platitudes and statements of support. The bold step into action challenges us to be brave, vulnerable, and humble. Leadership is hard. It is messy… Read More

Pluralism in Family Philanthropy: Navigating Tensions and Bridging Divides for Impact

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Uma Viswanathan, Tegan Acton, Heather Templeton Dill, Brian Hooks, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Group of people of on top of the mountain at sunset
In an increasingly divisive society, people are facing complex, challenging dialogues around politics, ethics, and social issues, struggling to manage perspectives across the political aisle and facilitate healthy discourse with multiple viewpoints. What is taking place on a macro scale is mirrored within individual families—difficult conversations, distinct political and cultural divides, and in many cases gridlock or an inability to… Read More
From NCFP

Racial Justice in Family Philanthropy: A Conversation Between Nick Tedesco and June Wilson

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, June L. Wilson

Prior to Nick Tedesco’s official start as president and CEO of the National Center for Family (NCFP), he attended NCFP’s conference where Edgar Villanueva discussed white supremacy and racism in philanthropy. In a candid conversation with Compton Foundation Executive Director June Wilson, Nick reflects on his reaction to Edgar’s session at the Forum and how that was a catalyst on… Read More
Voices from the Field

Will COVID-19 usher in a new era of collaboration in philanthropy?

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Rachel Korberg, Nicholas A. Tedesco

The Families and Workers Fund is a new donor collaborative that includes a mix of private, corporate, and family foundations pooling resources and information to address one of the most pressing issues facing the United States today: how to ensure an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rachel Korberg, the Fund’s co-founder and executive director, shares about the goals of… Read More
From NCFP

Philanthropy with Purpose Drives Lasting Change

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

This article was originally published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. Change is borne of experience. Lasting change is borne of enlightenment. The divide between the two is often quite significant. Change is the subject of the recent report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) (Foundations Respond to Crisis: Lasting Change?) which asks… Read More
From NCFP

We Can Be Bold Together

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco

Today, the family philanthropy field is at a point of inflection. We are amidst a culminating moment in which our social, economic, and political landscapes are significantly changing. Now it is time for us to reflect on our purpose, pace, and practice to decide how we will meet this moment. Will family philanthropy maintain the status quo? Or will we… Read More
From NCFP

Trust-Based Philanthropy: Shifting Power to Communities

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Nicholas A. Tedesco, Shaady Salehi

This article was originally published by Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions and is re-posted here with permission. Philanthropy is a complicated pursuit. Donors are committed to supporting their grantees to advance social progress, yet they hold a disproportionate amount of power, and operate within an inherently inequitable system that often perpetuates harm. Foundations and donors have virtually all the… Read More
Effective Family Philanthropy in Action

Family Philanthropy Speaks: A Conversation with Vilas Dhar

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Vilas Dhar, Nicholas A. Tedesco

Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, joins NCFP President and CEO Nick Tedesco for a Family Philanthropy Speaks episode on data science, artificial intelligence, and the foundation’s recent merger. Hear about the innovative strategies the McGovern Foundation is using to tackle social issues.  Philanthropy is a practice borne out of compassion and commitment—and one that is… Read More