NCG's Family Philanthropy Exchange

Family Foundations comprise the majority of foundations in the United States, yet they are as different from one another as one family is from the next. They share a common heritage in that they were formed by a donor or family of donors and their work is based in the values of the families they represent. Through their existence, these organizations are able to demonstrate a commitment to something larger than the family, to leave a mark on the world, or to give back to the community that helped them succeed. Family foundations & other types of family giving programs are often dynamic, flexible philanthropies able to make a real difference in their funding areas. Bay Area family foundations represent this field extremely well. Many are multi-generational, well-established organizations with rich traditions of giving. Others represent new wealth with founders who may be successful entrepreneurs whose approach emphasizes accountability, activism, and measurable outcomes. Established or newly created, all family foundations want to contribute significantly to the communities and fields they serve.

NCG is reaching out to the greater Bay Area family foundations & family giving programs, with a comprehensive learning program that connects them with one another and with the best models of current practice. The goal of NCG's Family Philanthropy Exchange is to provide consistent high-value member benefits that will enable Northern California family foundations to ensure that the future builds upon the successes of the past. Participation in the Family Philanthropy Exchange offers:

• Access to information about best practices in family foundation governance, staffing, and management.
• Training in the traditions, strategies, operations, and higher purposes of giving, offered in interactive, welcoming settings by well-known faculty using the best adult learning principles available.
• Programming that is balanced between grantmaking and program development and the issues unique to family foundations
• Opportunities to broaden connections with other family foundation donors, trustees, and staff.
• Potential partnerships and joint programming with other organizations devoted to supporting family foundations, including The Foundation Incubator, the Council on Foundations, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy, among others.
• A planned Family Foundation Retreat to bring the generations together to consider the value of giving, the value of family, and the value of working together.
• Sharing of the enormous creativity and generosity of greater Bay Area family foundations on a national stage.

Family Philanthropy Exchange Events

Upcoming Family Philanthropy Exchange programs can be found on our Event Calendar.

Breakfast Discussion Featuring Bill Gates, Sr.

On February 26, 2004 the Family Philanthropy Exchange hosted a breakfast discussion for trustees and individual donors on the estate tax featuring Bill Gates, Sr. The following links provide information for and against the estate tax.

• Estate tax cut's burden on state -- Federal break for rich: $1 billion loss to budget by Robert Salladay, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau, San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/02/BAGOA4MSAA1.DTL
• Effects of Estate Tax Reform on Charitable Giving, by Jon M. Bakija, Model-Okun Fellow, Economic Studies and William G. Gale, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution: http://brookings.edu/views/articles/gale/20030617.htm
• General information in favor of retaining the estate tax: Americans for a Fair Estate Tax: http://www.ombwatch.org/estatetax
• General information opposed to the estate tax: Senate Republicans Policy Committee: http://www.senate.gov/~rpc/releases/1999/tx061202.htm

Visit our list of past Family Philanthropy Exchange events.

On January 14, 2004, The Family Philanthropy Exchange hosted a briefing on “What California Donors Want: In Their Own Voices.” Authors Deanne Stone and Jan McElwee discussed their new, groundbreaking study entitled, What California Donors Want: In Their Own Voices. This publication – the first in-depth study on the goals, motivations, and challenges of a new generation of leading California philanthropists – was conducted by the National Center for Family Philanthropy and underwritten by the James Irvine Foundation. What California Donors Want provides a much needed tool for community and public foundations, regional associations of grantmakers, lawyers, financial advisors, and others who support independent, philanthropic donors. What are the goals and motivations of California’s new generation of philanthropic donors? What resources do these community leaders access to help guide their giving strategies? What are the gaps in information currently available for donors, and what key challenges do these individuals face in becoming effective donors? What California Donors Want provides answers and context for these and other key questions. It will enable service providers to assist donors in realizing their philanthropic visions, thereby helping charities and communities in California to flourish in the coming years. A PDF file of the study can be downloaded on the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s website at http://ncfp.org/program-research-CA_Voices.html.

NCG Family Philanthropy Committee

Mary Callendar, Senior Program Officer/Executive Director, Pacific Foundation Services
Joan Cosper, Vice President, Community Investment, East Bay Community Foundation
Quinn Delaney, Executive Director, Akonadi Foundation
Christine Elbel, Executive Director, Fleishhacker Foundation
Susan Hirsch, Philanthropic Advisor, Hellman Family Foundation
Jason Sanders, Philanthropic Advisor, Tides Foundation
Sandra Treacy, Executive Director, W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation
Nancy Wiltsek, Committee Chair and Executive Director, Pottruck Family Foundation

Other Family Philanthropy resources

Family Philanthropy at the Council on Foundations

National Center for Family Philanthropy

The Foundation Incubator

The Family Philanthropist