National Center for Family Philanthropy

Early Days: The Heisley Family Foundation

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Howard Husock

Note: This case study was written and released in 2001 as part of NCFP’s Living the Legacy guide; current circumstances at the foundation may be different than described here. With these goals in mind, Heisley, in December 1996, incorporated the Heisley Family Foundation, which he hoped would be “a vehicle which I could use to help bring my family together… Read More

A Family Legacy of Individual Initiative: The McKnight Foundation

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Deanne Stone

Note: This case study was written and released in 2001 as part of NCFP’s Living the Legacy guide; current circumstances at the foundation may be different than described here. McKnight was chairman of the 3M Company (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing). He was credited for developing the corporate culture that propelled the phenomenal growth and transformation of the company from a… Read More

Change Within Tradition: The Hattie M. Strong Foundation

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Howard Husock

  Note: This case study was written and released in 2001 as part of NCFP’s Living the Legacy guide; current circumstances at the foundation may be different than described here. Yet, the evolution of this small, family-established foundation had occurred in an atmosphere which board members themselves considered traditional and conservative. Board meetings reviewed proposals by comparing them against the… Read More

On A Donor’s Death

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Kathleen O’Grady

When a founder passes, how can you both move on from “personal favorites” while also honoring the founder’s interestst and taking into account the needs of the institutions they cared most about? This short piece from NCFP’s “Living the Legacy” Journal shares the perspectives and approach that one family took. When my husband Tom and I began the O’Grady Family… Read More

The Rebirth of a Legacy: The Lydia B. Stokes Foundation

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Deborah Brody Hamilton

Note: This case study was written and released in 2001 as part of NCFP’s Living the Legacy guide; current circumstances at the foundation may be different than described here. Lydia B. Stokes was a woman of principles. Reared as a Presbyterian, she converted to Quakerism when she married. She and her husband, a medical doctor, lived in Moorestown, New Jersey… Read More

Trends 2020: Foundation Giving

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including payout rate, influences of giving decisions, discretionary grants, and much more. Family foundations must make choices around the size, number, and focus of their grants. They also have choices around how much they payout annually, the types of grants they make, and how… Read More

Trends 2020: Board Learning & Decision Making

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including board activity, foundations as learning institutions, development of new ideas, and much more. Family foundation board members must allocate time and identify ways to track and acquire the information they need to serve as effective fiduciaries for the organization. This section explores the… Read More

Trends 2020: Community Interaction & Communication

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including external communications, communications tools, outside perspectives, and much more. Increasingly, family foundations are finding new ways to communicate and engage with the communities they support. Many families are also considering the benefits of being more transparent with their philanthropy, but others feel that… Read More

Trends 2020: Family Dynamics and Next Generation Development

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including generation dynamics, strategies for engaging the next-gen, factors impacting family participation, and much more. Engaging The Next Generation The vast majority of family foundations have either specifically decided that they will exist in perpetuity, or seek to do so. With that decision comes… Read More

Trends 2020: Governance and Staff

Posted on November 19, 2020

This excerpt from NCFP’s Trends 2020 study shares data and analysis regarding various US family foundation giving trends, including board composition, governance policies, staff composition, and much more. How do family foundations choose who should serve on the board, and how they can prepare them for success when they assume this important role? Board composition and the establishment of appropriate governance policies… Read More

We’re here to equip you with the tools you need to make a meaningful impact. Contact NCFP for support.

Get in Touch

Keep up with trends in family philanthropy. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Signup

Gain access to personalized support and a network of peers. Join our community!

Join Now