Family Philanthropy Board Chairs: Leading with Joy and Effectiveness

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Elaine Gast Fawcett

Two white women sit at a table, looking off camera to illustrate the Passages issue brief on Board Chairs
A board chair is perhaps the most important and meaningful job in any family foundation. If you are currently chair—or anticipate that you will be someday—you may find it’s one of the most rewarding roles you will ever have. It’s also a role of great nuance, calling for keen facilitation, leadership, and a healthy dose of self-awareness—a combination that’s not always easy to find… 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

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

Nonfamily Staff Peer Network: Succession Planning

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Katherine Jacobs, Allison Kupfer, Christine Koehn, Kelly Chopus

Succession planning is a top topic that you as a network requested earlier this year. We’re pleased to spend time with the senior team of Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, who have overseen searches, transition management, training, and talent strategy. Join us to hear confidential lessons learned and stories as we have an engaging discussion… Read More

The Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation

Posted on December 5, 2017 by W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The evaluation profession is multi-faceted and can be characterized partly by its theoretical debates, ethical considerations and proprietary interests. What is evaluation and how can it help your organization? This handbook is designed to demystify evaluation and help you get the most out of evaluation for your organization… Read More

A Profile of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Einhorn Family Charitable Trust

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust’s story is the organization’s relative youth. The trustees hired their first full-time staff member only 10 years ago. In that short time, EFCT has surged to the front of the pack when it comes to supporting grantees to pursue higher performance. If you’re a funder, have you asked your grantees… Read More

What is the role of the foundation’s president?

Posted on June 19, 2017 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

The president is responsible for establishing an efficient and effective infrastructure that enables seamless execution of grantmaking functions and heightens professionalism of the foundation’s operations. The role can be broken down into 5 core responsibilities: Leadership for the foundation’s grantmaking– The president is responsible for focusing on the issues that the trustee’s feel are of great importance. He/she is also… Read More