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From risk management to objective perspectives to succession planning, boards are a crucial component to help the family business achieve longevity. Boards serve as a mechanism to clarify the mandates of the family and provide continuity and formal guidance to future generations. During this session, experts will share easy-to-implement governance ...

The Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in the effective governance of any organization, including the private family trust company. Board members fulfill their roles and responsibilities, in part, by holding regular meetings that utilize a comprehensive agenda. One vital tool for an effective Board meeting is the meeting agenda. Here, ten sugg...

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...

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...

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...

Creating a truly effective board doesn’t happen by accident. From selecting the right people, to running crisp meetings, to fostering good working relationships with management and one another—boards are tasked with many decisions that impact how well they function. Over time, boards fall into routines for how they operate. But how many regularly l...

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...

A high-quality board of directors with a range of talents and experience can be a powerful resource for your company. Taking steps to ensure your board is well-designed, well-informed, and properly engaged will reap significant benefits for your company’s shareholders and management team.