Can Structure Set You Free?
Whether your foundation is committed to operating in perpetuity, or you’re considering a strategic lifespan, does defining the parameters of your foundation’s activity restrict or liberate you? Read More
Donor Collaboratives: Maximizing Your Philanthropic Impact
February 22, 2017
NCFP’s 2015 Trends in Family Philanthropy study found that more than 90 percent of respondents cited the “impact of their giving” as the top motivation for their participation in family philanthropy. This same study found that just 45 percent of family foundations participate in efforts with other funders. If grant makers are interested in increasing the impact of their giving, they should give serious consideration to participating in a donor collaborative. Read More
Are You Using Your Power, or Leaving it on the Table?
April 26, 2016 | Exponent Philanthropy, Andy Carroll
In spite of our laws and regulations, our checks and balances, our moral and social norms nurturing restraint and respect, people use power to bend rules, exclude and disenfranchise, distort facts and disseminate misinformation, manufacture fear, and secure preferential treatment.
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Walking the Talk: Striving for Authentic Partnership with Our Grantees
February 23, 2016 | Laura McCargar
In November, PFF Program Officer Laura McCargar joined Michael Moody of the Johnson Center for Family Philanthropy and NCFP Fellow and Board Member Katherine Lorenz of the George and Cynthia Mitchell Foundation at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations conference in Houston, Texas to talk about collaboration in the context of family philanthropy. Read More
Collaborating Across Power Differences
January 14, 2016 | Miki Kashtan
Power dynamics can really get in the way when you are trying to build a healthy, strong organization. If family foundations and their grantee partners don’t see eye to eye, or if junior members of the family pose challenges to their board leaders or elders, the back-and-forth struggle isn’t just uncomfortable; it can undermine the organizational stability and compromise impact. Read More
Philanthropy Lessons: The Power Dynamic
November 6, 2015 | Jen Bokoff
This video from Exponent Philanthropy's 9-part Philanthropy Lessons series explores the dynamics of grantor/grantee relationship, and provides practical actions that family foundation staff can take to lessen the power differential between your foundation and your grantees. Read More
What’s Next for the Ford Foundation?
July 23, 2015 | Darren Walker
When I wrote about my first year on the job, I asked you all to do something: Tell me the truth. That simple request drew more than 2,000 e-mails to my inbox. In reflecting on each and every response, I have become more aware of the ways in which we can improve our institution, and serve our mission. Read More
The U.S. Trust Study of the Philanthropic Conversation: Understanding advisor approaches and client expectations
October 8, 2013 | Bank of America Private Bank, The Philanthropic Initiative
The vast majority of high net worth (HNW) individuals give to charity, and many feel that philanthropy is an important aspect of their wealth experience. HNW individuals are increasingly relying on professional advisors for support with their charitable activity. However, the philanthropic conversations with and advice provided by their advisors are not always aligned to their needs. Several disconnects between HNW individuals and advisors center on the initiation and substance of their philanthropic discussions. Read More
Fifteen Years, Ten Trends: Then and Now
July 15, 2013 | Virginia M. Esposito
“Democracy does not give the people the most skillful government, but it produces what the ablest governments are frequently unable to create; namely, an all-pervading and restless activity, a superabundant force, and an energy which is inseparable from it and which may, however unfavorable circumstances may be, produce wonders. These are the true advantages of democracy.” The above quotation, one Read More
Prize Philanthropy: Spurring Innovation and Awareness of New Solutions
May 15, 2013 | Rachel Szymanski
The recent Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences established by tech giants Yuri Milner, Sergey Brin, Anne Wojciciki, and Mark Zuckerburg has been awarded to 11 scientists doing innovative research. At $3 million for each scientist, these awards are more than twice the amount of each Nobel Prize. [Above photo: Dr. Jane Foley, Milken Educators, state, district and school officials, and Read More
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