Set a new table, create a “safe zone” for effective family philanthropy

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Philanthropic strategists often work closely with families to help them establish, refine or refocus mutigenerational family foundations and donor-advised funds. Some of these families enjoy long histories of open communication across the generations – about money, values and charity. Many others, however, find these topics extremely difficult to broach. Multigenerational family philanthropy creates a unique…

Strategic philanthropy: Seven lessons in seven years

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Seven years ago, I began working closely with families, businesses and foundations to help them achieve greater impact for themselves and their communities through philanthropy. Over that time, much has changed and I’ve gained practical experience and learned valuable lessons within this very special niche. The field of strategic philanthropy is more sophisticated and complex…

Women’s voices ring clear in world of philanthropy

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As women in the Baby Boomer generation begin to retire, women in the Gen X and millennial generations are assuming well-deserved and hard-earned leadership positions in the business, government and nonprofit sectors. This transition is impacting philanthropy in significant ways. Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, and range in age from 71 to…

Changes to federal policies could drastically affect philanthropists, nonprofits

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Ever since the United States was founded, charitable support of nonprofit organizations has been a fundamental part of its social fabric. Every day, nonprofits touch millions of Americans’ lives. They provide for essential human services, advocate for core democratic values and support people, animals, arts and the environment. Plus, nonprofits account for 11.4 million jobs…

Risk, philanthropy go hand-in-hand

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Risk is the likelihood of an undesirable outcome. Every action includes an element of risk. Philanthropy is no exception to this rule. In fact, charitable donations — because they seek to solve seemingly intractable problems — are often referred to as society’s ultimate “risk capital.” Risk and return analyses are important considerations when making any…

Tax Form 990: A treasure trove of information for strategic philanthropy

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To achieve their goals, philanthropic families and businesses seek to partner with nonprofits that can demonstrate operational sustainability and effectiveness over the long term. For those making this decision, IRS tax form 990 contains a treasure trove of available information. Many otherwise-savvy donors fail to take advantage of this useful tool. Each year, tax-exempt organizations…

Seven trends in philanthropy to expect in 2017

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2016 was a great year for philanthropy. It included record levels of giving and impact investing and more strategic approaches to charitable efforts. 2017 will likely launch its own unique trends. I’ll be watching for these highlights: Reduced tax incentives for giving Many knowledgeable observers predict that Congress will reduce income tax rates for the…

Philanthropy supports democracy, democracy supports us all

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Results of the recent election season have spotlighted the tremendous divisiveness in our nation – divisiveness that colors our approach to our country, our government and each other. As this year comes to a close, I want to remind readers — of every political point of view — about the critical role that philanthropy can…