Collaboration

Trust-based Family Philanthropy

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Sarah Walczyk, Shaady Salehi, Ellen Friedman, Hanh Le

Trust-based philanthropy is being embraced by a growing number of family foundations as a way to alleviate power imbalances between funders and grantees while fostering more productive and informative relationships. Driven by the central philosophy that funders should approach grantee relationships as learning partnerships, a trust-based approach encourages multi-year unrestricted funding, streamlined reporting, and transparent and responsive communication. In this… Read More

Collaborative Philanthropy in the Time of COVID-19

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Tony Mestres, Elizabeth Cousens, Judith Monroe, Gabrielle Fitzgerald

people putting jigsaw puzzle together
The National Center for Family Philanthropy is dedicated to serving families who give and those that work with them. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we are offering conversations on topics of interest to all philanthropic families associated with family foundations, donor-advised funds, family offices, and other philanthropic vehicles. For questions about this series, please contact Jen Crino at jen@ncfp.org… Read More

Non-family Staff Peer Network: Board Chair Dynamics – Expectations, Evaluation, Collaborating, and Engaging Together

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Kelly Chopus, Elaine Gast Fawcett

Join the Non-family Staff Peer Network for a discussion on board chair dynamics and the potential challenges and successes in this role at a family foundation. Whether it be collaborating with other staff and family members, managing complicated expectations and engagements across an organization, or navigating your foundation’s journey, join us and learn from your peers who will ask thought-provoking… Read More

Pride of Place: Sustaining a Family’s Commitment to Community

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Virginia M. Esposito, Gilbert Miller, Kelly Chopus

What does it mean to have “pride of place”? How do giving families retain their commitment to the founding region or community where their philanthropic resources were first created? How can family foundations and funds accommodate increasingly disparate personal interests among those serving on the board while staying true to the original geographic focus of the donor family? These questions… Read More

Balancing Power Dynamics

Posted on February 14, 2019 by David Perrin, Farhad Ebrahimi, John Mullaney, Laura McCargar

How can you use your privilege to address the power imbalances that exist between funders and community partners? How can your board members build more honest and collaborative relationships, while also supporting other funders in building more authentic relationships with their grantees? This conversation will feature a variety of practical tips for bridging the power divide with your grantees, with… Read More

Strategic Lifespan Peer Network: The Final Chapter

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Barbara Kibbe, Lois Mitchell

The Final Chapter: Planning for a Smooth Conclusion Remote Learning: A Discussion Held Via Video Chat & Phone Spending up or leaving a legacy? As your foundation plans for your strategic and limited lifespan, do you plan to support organizations with legacy grants or an endowment for specific causes your family or fund may have founded? How do you honor… Read More

Non-family Staff Peer Network: CEO Performance Reviews

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Denise Porche, Rusty Stahl, Kelly Medinger, Kelly Chopus

Following our last discussion on board chair dynamics, members wanted to know more information on CEO performance review processes and templates from peers. Join this conversation in June as we take a deeper dive into the importance of CEO performance reviews, and how your organization can support talent management and diverse staff at your foundation and your grantees… Read More

Family Philanthropy Through Multiple Vehicles

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Wendy R. Ulaszek, Ph.D., Kelin E. Gersick, Ph.D.

boardroom-meeting-sticky notes
How can families with multi-faceted philanthropic efforts – those with multiple foundations or funds, who are also using impact investing and other creative strategies – develop governance systems and structures that accommodate this complexity? What processes are these “complex” families using to allocate available human capital to the various governance structures? What approaches are they using to address dilemmas of… Read More

Building Bridges: A Conversation with NCFP’s New Fellows on Racial Equity

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Mary Mountcastle, June L. Wilson, Kelly D. Nowlin, Doug Bitonti Stewart

Are you breaking or bridging? We all have been affected by structural racism. NCFP’s own 2019 Fellows have dedicated themselves to getting proximate to the people, to the issue, to our families, to the field, and to thinking about how we have been impacted by racial injustice and inequity. From our Imagining the Future cross country focus groups we have heard… Read More

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