Family stories and profiles

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Eisner Foundation

Posted on June 5, 2023

The Eisner Family EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Portsmouth and Shrewsbury Town. From L to R: Anders Eisner, Breck Eisner, Jane Eisner, Michael Eisner, Eric Eisner. Photo courtesy of the Eisner Family
Five Practices the Eisner Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Learning and spending enough to hire the best help. When the Eisners decided it was time to professionalize, Michael Eisner reached out to the smartest person he knew in the world of philanthropy, Joel Fleishman, and followed his recommendations to gain more knowledge, and ultimately to hire Trent Stamp,… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Compton Foundation

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Five Practices the Compton Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Bringing in forward-thinking leaders. Compton’s first executive director wasn’t brought in until the late 1980s. Since then, they’ve had three. Their first ED encouraged practices like multiyear grants and reading books about equity in philanthropy. Embracing a spend out. It wasn’t immediate and it wasn’t without fireworks. But Compton… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Tarsadia Foundation

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Five Practices the Tarsadia Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Bringing in all the family. Some foundations incorporate several family members into leadership roles to drive the agenda. But Tarsadia Foundation is a three-generation operation that involves upward of 50 family board members in total. Mixing service and philanthropy. Rather than just give out grants from a distance, family… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Perrin Family Foundation

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Five Practices the Perrin Family Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Changing location. Once based in their hometown of Ridgefield, the Perrin Family Foundation moved to New Haven, Connecticut so that it could be closer to the communities it now serves. Bringing in the younger generation from the start. When Sheila and Charles Perrin established their foundation, they immediately… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Roundhouse Foundation

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Ade Adeniji, Inside Philanthropy

Four Practices Roundhouse Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Creative placemaking. Roundhouse Foundation strongly believes in investing in its local creative economy. This includes standing up and running its own artist residency, Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture, on a 260-acre working ranch. Meeting communities where they are. Rural organizations are often forced to travel to city-based… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: The Sobrato Family

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Five Practices Sobrato Philanthropies Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Multiple grantmaking structures. Sobrato Philanthropies has many grantmaking tentacles. The broader family engages in collective work through the Sobrato Family Foundation. And several branches of the family each have their own donor advised fund to conduct more personalized giving in areas like climate change and social justice. Bringing in the… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Ade Adeniji

Five Practices the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Place-based grantmaking. RPDFF makes grants in cities with personal connection to the family —Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Tacoma, Washington. Staff keep their ears to the ground including Executive Director Shawn Escoffery, who personally shows up to local events in L.A., not as a staffer… Read More

Effective Family Philanthropy: Tegan and Brian Acton

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Ade Adeniji, Inside Philanthropy

Brian and Tegan Acton
Five Practices Wildcard Giving Has Embraced to Achieve Its Goals Donor-advised funds. Acton Family Giving and Solidarity Giving are donor-advised funds set up at Fidelity Charitable that allow them to take payouts and focus more of that money into the grants. However, these charities also avoid the normal trappings of DAFs, publishing grants, and honoring a minimum payout as if they… Read More

Lessons from Family Philanthropy: The Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Posted on January 3, 2022 by Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Launching a family foundation is often the expression of donors’ desires to establish a lasting legacy and to instill in future generations the importance of giving. But family foundations face certain common pitfalls as well. They may initially unite family members through a shared sense of mission that could become less shared as the family grows and diffuses over time… Read More

Legacy in Family Philanthropy: A Modern Framework

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Shira Saperstein, Janice Simsohn Shaw

Adult hand holding child's hand - legacy
Legacy is a fundamental consideration in the practice of effective family philanthropy, yet it remains one of the most ambiguous and often overlooked concepts in our field. Many families approach legacy with a retrospective lens—one that reflects on a philanthropic effort across a number of years or even generations. However, legacy is emergent and iterative. It ought to be considered… Read More

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