Family philanthropy and community foundations

Join us for our final meeting of the year as we look ahead to 2026 with purpose and optimism. Together, we’ll explore the tools and skills needed to execute on our goals. To anchor this conversation, we’ll be joined by Tony Macklin, who will lead a deeper dive into the Philanthropic Advising Competency Model. We’ll also invite participants to share… Read More

Join us for a peer-to-peer conversation led by the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) about ways to engage youth at your community foundation. Hear how GHCF is approaching this work and what tools and strategies have worked to reach and increase youth involvement. Following the brief presentation, we will convene breakout groups to allow you to share your own experiences… Read More

The Bold Solutions Network connects funders with high-impact proposals which are vetted through open calls by Lever for Change (LFC). Join us to hear from Karen Minkel and Emma Pool of Lever for Change on how community foundations can use the Bold Solutions Network to identify funding opportunities in their service areas. They will discuss the 2023 Yield Giving Open… Read More

Join us for peer-led discussions on these two topics: How can families effectively engage next-generation adults in their philanthropy? How can community foundations structure and position their philanthropic advising services? This is an opportunity for peer learning and connection for philanthropic advising staff at community foundations. Choose your topic and join a breakout room to share your experiences and learn… Read More

What tools and resources do other community foundations use in their philanthropic advising? What facilitation techniques do they use? How are they marketing their services? One of the takeaways from this year’s Community Foundations Network Workshop was that members want to share the resources that they use in their philanthropic advising work with colleagues at other community foundations. By sharing what works… Read More

How can community foundations use impact investing strategies to amplify their mission and create change within their communities? Join Dr. Stephanie Gripne, CEO of the Impact Finance Center (IFC), for an introduction to: impact investing, financial innovation, and full spectrum capital. Discover how IFC supported community foundations in identifying impact investment opportunities within their grant portfolios and donor advised funds using… Read More

Community foundations have been serving giving families for many decades. Recently more and more community foundations have been re-examining how they are promoting the philanthropic services they offer to donor families. How have community foundations successfully marketed their services to encourage families to partner with them on their philanthropy? What are the changes that some community foundations have made that… Read More

The United States is navigating a critical moment in our history as core principles and structures of democracy are under attack. The hyperpolarization of public discourse leaves smaller ground for effective policy formation on any issue. At the same time, however, there are movements across the country that are working to bridge divides, shore up and strengthen justice and equity… Read More

As philanthropic services staff at community foundations, we’re called to play many, sometimes conflicting roles: order taker, steward, expert consultant, facilitator, influencer, salesperson, consigliere, and more. How can we effectively clarify and balance the expectations of these roles within and across the families we support? Can we be trusted advisors while influencing families’ giving in ways that align with our… Read More

Focusing on engaging successor generations and youth, this session will provide peer learning and connection based on experience with philanthropic advising for multi-generational families. Bring a challenge, a recent success or a 2024 goal to share with your peers. We will divide by experience level using breakout rooms and then have time for sharing insights learned with the larger group… Read More