Search Results

Few, if any, roles are more significant in ensuring a foundation's success than that of the board chair. This may be why many people find assuming this position a daunting project. And yet the successful businessperson who serves as chair of a family foundation dedicated to a cause that was dear to his or her parents' hearts or the community leader...

The number and scope of women-owned businesses have risen at an unprecedented rate. In an era of new opportunities, this paper profiles eight courageous and resilient women who share their personal stories and the lessons they learned building successful businesses. One theme that emerged from these women’s stories was the critical role of mentorsh...

If you are a newer family foundation with one or two generations on the board, five generations may seem like a long time away. Yet in family philanthropy, quite a few foundations have been operating and thriving for 50, 75, even 100 years. What’s the secret of these family philanthropies that make it five generations, and across family branches? H...

The fun and rewarding activities of a family foundation center around determining the causes and organizations the foundation will support. While working together to make a difference, it is important to remember the family foundation is also a business requiring the same effective governance practices as a family business. This is especially criti...

Families of wealth and business-owning families face security risks in their everyday lives, where personal and business risks are often blended and are typically managed by different people and processes. This creates a gap in identifying risks and solutions that can be addressed through a holistic and collaborative risk management approach. With ...

When starting with family philanthropy, a family can choose a donor-advised fund or establish a private foundation. Each option has different requirements and management issues, including start-up costs, privacy matters, control of grants and assets, and flexibility in impact investing. Serving as a general guidance for you and your experienced adv...

One of the many challenges facing wealthy families in today’s fast-paced society is the need to meaningfully involve family members, including the rising generation, in the management of the family wealth enterprise. One way to engage the family is through philanthropic giving where families can derive great benefit from working together to define ...

What happens when a founding donor isn’t around to direct the foundation’s mission and grantmaking activity? To avoid unwanted consequences and confusion, succession planning requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the foundation’s future and provide it with a mission or donor intent statement. It should answer who will make decisions for ...

During this two-part webinar presentation on private foundation succession planning, insights and planning tools are outlined and discussed to help the next generation of decision making. While there are different approaches to succession planning, knowing the donor intention is essential. Other planning elements and considerations include a missio...

Real estate as an asset class requires constant attention to ever-changing variables. Implementing a defined, analytical, yet flexible asset management process within your family office’s direct investment function is critical to ensure your portfolio is positioned to meet intended goals.

Building and managing a portfolio is a continual process that involves numerous decisions. But none of those decisions is more important than how to allocate your wealth across different asset classes. By developing and implementing an asset allocation strategy that fits your particular goals and situation, you can achieve meaningful diversifi...

A historic agreement was reached in 2015 when member states of the United Nations came together and signed “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” which included a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs charted a way forward to a just, secure, and sustainable future for people and the planet. This...

There is a passionate and growing effort among funders to focus less on change that is short-term or only at the project or program level; such funders are instead using models that reach across different sectors and approaches and dig deep into root causes, leading to more structural, systemic change. Aiming their efforts at more transformational ...

Philanthropy is changing and evolving more quickly than ever, with new societal challenges, new players, and new strategies. In this time of change, questions of how family foundations can optimize their effectiveness are increasingly urgent. This paper by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors provides an overview of the Theory of the Foundation, some ...

For many individuals, philanthropy is one of the more gratifying parts of estate planning. Adding in a multigenerational component—one that involves the family’s needs, interests, assets, and goals—can make it even more meaningful and compelling. With the focus on the family and through open channels of communication, philanthropy can be an excelle...