We hear it all the time from foundations, “I wish organizations would stop emailing me questions they can easily look up on our website.” At the same time, we hear from non-profits all the time, “How am I supposed to build a relationship with a foundation?” Unfortunately, asking about grant guidelines, deadlines, or funding areas…
Ah, April – the season for accounting and paperwork. In the spirit of looking back, organizing, and checklists we put together a list of things all family foundations should be considering on an annual basis. Although it’s hard to make time for reflection, making time to consider the following areas once a year is key…
“To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large, and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.” Aristotle According to Sara Beggs from the Association of Small Foundations, “a private…
As a mother of a two-year-old living in the affluent city of Los Angeles, I often think about how to raise my son with philanthropic values instead of materialism and entitlement. As a philanthropic strategist to wealthy families, I am often asked, “How do I raise motivated, philanthropic, hard-working, kids when they have everything they could possibly want? While I’m…
Many of my clients come to me saying, “I want to start a foundation,” but really they are interested in establishing an operating nonprofit. It is quite easy to get confused by terms like foundation, charity and nonprofit when used interchangeably albeit, incorrectly, in philanthropy. In the United States, we look to the Internal Revenue…
Legacy planning is frequently referred to as leaving an inheritance to family members or your favorite charity. These days, legacy planning, through establishing a private foundation, can preserve your family name and make a social impact for generations to come, a far greater significance than simply a singular financial gift. Said so well by Ernest…