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What philanthropic vehicles are available to family philanthropies? Which are best suited to support your mission and goals, and what is the value of employing multiple vehicles?
In this session we will discuss the benefits (and limitations), flexibility, and potential impact of each vehicle. Through examples from other funders, learn about how to align your philanthropic vehicle with your family’s values, strategic objectives, and desired outcomes, while being mindful of your capacity and size constraints. This session is ideal for families looking to make informed decisions about how to structure and maximize their philanthropic giving.
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
In light of your philanthropic goals and values, what governance structures and legal implications should you consider? How can effective governance support and sustain effective, compliant, and mission-driven family philanthropies?
This session will go beyond regulatory requirements and equip you with the best practices in stewardship to ensure your principles, policies, and practices are aligned with your philanthropic goals. We will cover core governance topics including:
- board structures
- decision-making processes
- the role of family members in leadership
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
The Bridging The Gap: Blacks in Philanthropy conference, is organized by the Smith Family Foundation.
Their mission for this conference is to promote philanthropy and drive social change in the community, and this event is a vital step toward achieving that goal. The conference is expected to draw over 300 attendees, including philanthropy professionals, non-profit executives, community leaders, and interested individuals. The agenda features keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in philanthropy, and strategies for advancing social justice. This conference is a unique opportunity to engage in collaborative discussions, gain valuable insights, and build meaningful connections with like-minded individuals who share a passion for creating positive change. Together, we will explore innovative strategies, best practices, and impactful initiatives that empower and uplift black lives.
Cost: $100
Open to all Grantmakers
Which staffing models will work best for your family philanthropy? How can the right structure enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of your organization?
We will examine different approaches, including hiring dedicated philanthropic professionals and family members, and utilizing external advisors and consultants. You will learn how to align staffing strategieswith your philanthropic goals, create a collaborative work environment, and ensure that the right expertise is in place to drive impact.
Whether you’re looking to grow, professionalize, or prepare for transition, this session will offer practical guidance on building a structure that supports both mission and operational excellence.
Cost: This event is free for CNJG Members who are family foundations.
Other types of foundations are ineligible to join this webinar.
This program is a CNJG membership benefit for family foundation members, including staff and trustees, in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
Times of mass mobilization like the uprisings for Black lives and global crises like the COVID pandemic broaden awareness of the work of organizations, collectives, and other groups of people working to transform harmful systems. Some of these groups turn to intermediaries—fiscal sponsors and donor intermediaries—to provide back-office support, grant funding, and other services to support their ongoing work and evolution.
This report explores the ways in which the ecosystem of funders and intermediaries can better support these groups—which we’re calling “constituent-led groups”—who do their work without formal 501c3 status and are often led by and supporting historically oppressed communities.
Today, many constituent-led groups, particularly those that are smaller and geographically isolated, struggle to find fiscal sponsors and other intermediaries that share their values and can provide services that are deeply rooted in racial equity. For a number of reasons, funders—who can’t otherwise support constituent-led groups—often prioritize partnering with intermediaries with a high capacity for scaling services and distributing resources and funds. Though equity values are important to funders in selecting intermediaries to partner with, many funders don’t know what equity-centered services look like or how to support intermediaries in deepening this work.
In this report, we share different ways fiscal sponsors and donor intermediaries have approached deepening equity in their work while meeting the volume of demand from constituent-led groups and funders. We also offer some pathways forward for funders seeking to strategically invest in intermediaries to strengthen their capacity in these areas so they might better serve constituent-led groups.
Donating money to modify public thinking and government policy has now taken its place next to service-centered giving as a constructive branch of philanthropy. Many donors now view public-policy reform as a necessary adjunct to their efforts to improve lives directly.
This is perhaps inevitable given the mushrooming presence of government in our lives. In 1930, just 12 percent of U.S. GDP was consumed by government; by 2012 that had tripled to 36 percent. Unless and until that expansion of the state reverses, it is unrealistic to expect the philanthropic sector to stop trying to have a say in public policies.
Sometimes it’s not enough to build a house of worship; one must create policies that make it possible for people to practice their faith freely within society. Sometimes it’s not enough to pay for a scholarship; one must change laws so that high-quality schools exist for scholarship recipients to take advantage of.
Yet public-policy philanthropy has special ways of mystifying and frustrating practitioners. It requires understanding of governmental practice, interpretation of human nature, and some philosophical perspective. Public-policy philanthropists may encounter opponents operating from different principles who view them as outright enemies. Moreover, public-policy struggles never seem to end: victories one year become defeats the next, followed by comebacks, then setbacks, and on and on.
This book was written to help donors navigate all of those obstacles. It draws on deep history and rich interviews with the very best practitioners of public-policy philanthropy in America today. Whatever your aspirations for U.S. society and governance, this guide will help you find the best ways to make a difference.
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) in collaboration with National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), present a briefing that features a panel of speakers representing nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to strengthen our democracy and advance immigrant rights in their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what groups need as we move into 2025 and beyond, directly from movement leaders.
According to a report from National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, since 2012 there has been an 11 percent shrinkage in philanthropic funding towards immigrant movement groups. While there was an uptick in rapid response funding between 2017-2018, this has not created the conditions for the long term sustainability of immigrant serving organizations.
In a critical election year, over 60 anti-immigrant bills have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide. Immigrant advocacy groups – already facing a myriad of historically systemic challenges such as burnout, unlivable wages, and hostile state level political environments – are facing this wave of anti-immigrant sentiment, often at the sacrifice of their own safety and well being. And while philanthropic interest has focused on the national elections and scenario planning, movement groups are already planning for 2025 and an uncertain future regardless of presidential election outcomes. Philanthropy must not only meet this moment but also invest in the critical infrastructure needs of organizations and movements, particularly at the local and state levels.
As right wing movements seek to undermine our democracy on all fronts, immigrant communities cannot be left behind and must be included in any political, social, or philanthropic efforts that seek to build a multi-racial democracy. Built through the collaborative efforts of GCIR and NCRP, this briefing will feature a panel of speakers representing nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to strengthen our democracy and advance immigrant rights in their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what groups need as we move into 2025 and beyond, directly from movement leaders.
Cost: Free for Funders
Must log in or create an account to register on GCIR’s website.
The PSEG Foundation celebrated a decade of community impact through its Neighborhood Partners Program (NPP), hosting a special event to honor more than 400 nonprofit organizations that have received nearly $8 million in grants since the program’s inception. This year, the program set new records, with an 11% increase in applications and $1.2 million in total giving—a 20% rise from last year’s $1 million.
Representatives from more than 100 nonprofits that have benefited from the program attended the event, sharing testimonials about its impact on their communities. The NPP provides grant funding to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that demonstrate effective programming aligned with the PSEG Foundation’s three strategic pillars: environmental sustainability, social justice, and equity and economic empowerment.
“In 10 years, the Neighborhood Partners Program has not only awarded millions in grants but has stood alongside hundreds of community-led organizations to create lasting change throughout New Jersey. NPP now serves as a role model for other funders who also seek to be catalysts for progress at the neighborhood level,” said Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation. “We are proud to support these transformative partnerships, which embody our unwavering commitment to empowering communities, tackling critical environmental and socio-economic challenges, and advancing equity—especially for those with the greatest need—so that all communities can thrive in a more sustainable and just New Jersey.”
When considering how to improve health outcomes for low-income individuals, most people think about providing access to good medical care and keeping the cost of that care as low as possible. What people rarely think about is the connection between good health and quality affordable housing.
Philanthropy can be defined in many ways. The word comes from the Greek, meaning "love for humanity." Modern definitions include the concept of voluntary giving by an individual or group to promote the common good and improve the quality of life.
Here in the United States, the term "philanthropy" is also used to describe the granting of money to nonprofit organizations by foundations and corporations. This type of giving is often called organized philanthropy or grantmaking.
This popular, fast-paced video offers a realistic — and often humorous — glimpse of how the public views philanthropy, using a series of "people in the street" interviews shot in the Twin Cities plus interviews with local donors. Discover the true, and often not so true, meaning of philanthropy.
Co-produced by the Minnesota Council on Foundations, The Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation.