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It’s the giving season—a time of joy, wonder, togetherness, and sharing. For Kimberly Myers-Hewlett, it is also a special time that brings her back to her philanthropic roots that began with her parents teaching her brother and her the meaning of caring for others. Learning from her parents and their generous nature, Kimberly tries to b...

Doug Balfour, author of Doing Good Great: An Insider’s Guide to Getting the Most Out of Your Philanthropic Journey, and Pat Armstrong of the Abbot Downing Institute for Family Culture discuss best practices for engaging in philanthropic activities as a family. Both believe that while each family’s questions are unique to their individua...

When initiating charitable work, it is important to remember that a foundation is also a business that requires developed governance practices. As Bill Gates said, “Effective philanthropy requires a lot of time and creativity. The same kind of focus and skills that building a business requires.” The processes and procedures that compris...

Across the world, philanthropy is undergoing a transformation that offers both exciting opportunities and complex challenges. With so much in flux, emerging donors and established funders are seeking new models not only for funding strategies and impact measures, but also for organizational design and management systems that will serve them well in...

What choices do you have when it comes to transparency? How open and accessible is your family foundation—to the extended family, to grant seekers and partners, to the public? What approach do your colleague foundations take, and why? This guide examines how family funders are thinking, acting—and not acting—when it comes to how t...

Much has been written comparing the administrative, financial, and programmatic criteria of private foundations and donor advised funds. It is often presented as an “either/or” choice. It’s important to know that the two can be used in tandem to achieve complementary goals of families and other donors. Some examples are illustrate...

Veronica and Greg share how investments in their donor-advised fund account have grown over the years, which has enabled them to give even more to the causes they care about.

National Center for Family Philanthropy recently spoke with Bill Leighty about how he’s helped keep the Leighty Foundation’s memories alive by recording its history. While many foundations use external production companies, Bill created his family’s legacy videos himself—using his own technological know-how, video equip...

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 se...

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 ...

Coming into financial independence and taking on more responsibilities for your own income and spending is both a liberating and intimidating experience. To help navigate some of the most important and common financial and investment decisions, a collection of articles is provided for guidance. The goal is to help break down complicated concep...

In this episode, two experts in the philanthropic advisory space talk about their experiences working with family offices, the state of the industry, and what it might look like in a post-pandemic world. They discuss the importance of family members understanding where they want to go with their philanthropic efforts, being committed, and enga...

With almost two million nonprofits in the U.S., including thousands of local community foundations, it can be overwhelming to know where to start to help during a COVID-19 pandemic. Four steps are provided to help you identify your giving priorities and guide your search for charities that are offering support and relief during this disaster.

Jeff Raikes, co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, and Fred Kaynor, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Schwab Charitable, discuss a strategy that can help donors increase their charitable impact. Jeff outlines three important tenets:Choose a cause you are passionate aboutResearch causes and charities to understand how you can m...