Family Foundations

The Council on Foundations defines a family foundation as one whose funds are derived from members of a single family, though this is not a legal term and has no precise definition. The Council on Foundations suggests that family foundations have at least one family member serving as an officer or board member of the foundation and, as the donor, that individual (or a relative) must play a significant role in governing and/or managing the foundation. Most family foundations are run by family members who serve as trustees or directors on a voluntary basis. In many cases, second- and third-generation descendants of the original donors manage the foundation.

Family foundations make up over half of all private (family, corporate, independent, and operating) foundations, or 40,456 out of approximately 73,764 foundations (Foundation Center, 2011). Family foundations make up approximately one-third of the Council’s membership.

Family foundations range in asset size from a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $1 billion. The holdings of family foundations total approximately $294 billion, or about 44 percent of all foundation holdings of $662 billion. Despite this, three out of five family foundations hold assets of less than $1 million. Family foundations gave away approximately $21.3 billion in grants in 2011 (The Foundation Center, 2011).

Below is everything on our site for family foundations. Due to the large number of resources on our website, we highly recommend you use the site navigation or the search feature to find what you are looking for.

Cultivating a Student-Driven Culture of Curious Disagreement in College

This session introduces a fresh approach to dialogue in higher ed: a peer-led fellowship that equips student club leaders to adopt dialogue as a tool to reach club goals. Participants will engage in an interactive case study, then explore a funding perspective on campus discourse--why it matters,…

Collaborative Giving, Common Ground

Join three collaborative-fund leaders working across environment, democracy, and narrative change as they share data-driven insights and real-world examples of projects they are funding that bring together philanthropy, NGOs, grassroots organizations, government partners, and diverse community…

When Campus Crises Become Collaborative Possibility

Crises don't have to pull people apart; they can also be a turning point for collaboration and connection. In this interactive session, attendees will walk through real case studies and try out a scenario role play to explore constructive, pluralistic responses during tense moments. Attendees will…

Building Stronger Communities Through Reflection, Rigor, and Shared Language

Community building is complex, and metrics are hard to get to. Try out a new tool built with and for community builders to take stock of progress and set course for what’s next.  This bilingual reflection tool brings added rigor, shared language, and real-world examples. Participants will have…

Bridging with Unconventional Tools

In an era of polarization, declining civic trust, and complex social challenges, traditional grantmaking alone cannot create systemic change. This session explores how foundations are fostering social cohesion through innovative approaches like shifting narratives, building community power, and…

Bridgebuilding Evaluation: Attitude, Behavior, or Both?

All social change efforts rely on attitude and ultimately behavior change for impact. Informed by social psychology and on-the-ground practice, top evaluators in the bridgebuilding field will help participants think through their projects and portfolios in real time. Participants will leave with…

Asset-Based Rural Solutions

Learn how Rural Development Hubs bridge divides by pairing capital with trust, cultural grounding, and local leadership. This interactive session offers funders a framework to invest in ways that deepen belonging, shift narratives, and build civic and economic power in rural communities.What to…

Understanding Values, Beliefs, and Identities to Expand Reach and Impact

Funders achieve greater impact when they can look beyond demographics to truly understand their beneficiaries. A “people-centered lens” starts with exploring the values, beliefs, and identities that shape how we think. Uncovering this, funders can see what motivates views and discover new paths for…

The Importance of Being an In-Group Moderate

At a time when extreme voices dominate our echo chambers, “in-group moderates” are more important than ever. This session features faith and philanthropic leaders from across the political spectrum, talking about how they navigate toxic polarization as in-group moderates, including practical tools…

Proven Approaches for Building and Measuring Trust through Community Libraries

This session explores how funders are supporting libraries to build bridges across differences. Attendees will learn about discoveries and recommendations from recently completed pilot projects with libraries to test new social trust measurement tools and different bridge building approaches.…

Pluralism in Action: Bridging Divides through Philanthropy

Discover how philanthropy can actively fund and model pluralism to strengthen democracy and social cohesion in a time of deep division. Guided by New Pluralists and featuring case studies from Convergence, WV Can’t Wait, and Citizen University, participants will learn to spot, support, and scale…

How Donors Can Support Community-Led Processes for Healing, Reconciliation, and Justice

Stories from around the world reveal how donors can effectively support community-healing processes anchored within the communities most impacted by high polarization. This session will use storytelling and interactive learning to provide practical strategies for how nonprofits and donors can…

Climate Action in a Polarized U.S.

Partisan gridlock has hampered U.S. climate progress, but funders have the power to change that. This session explores how philanthropy can unlock durable, bipartisan action by embracing ideological diversity and supporting authentic voices across the political spectrum. Attendees will leave with…

News That Builds: Philanthropy’s Urgent Opportunity

Like sidewalks and libraries, local news is an essential resource for strong communities. But as once-thriving local newsrooms have disappeared across America, this vital public resource is at risk. Participants will examine roles and identify integration strategies philanthropy can use to…

Measuring What Matters: Tracking Belonging in Practice

Belonging is a basic human need associated with a range of positive outcomes, but how do you know if programs or investments are meaningfully building it? Presenters in this session will spotlight nonprofit and philanthropic leaders who are piloting early efforts to measure the hard-to-measure.…

Leading Teams in Polarizing Times

Polarization is making it harder to lead organizations with diverse views. Leaders often face challenges when staff want them to speak out on polarized issues. Using new data from More in Common, presenters in this session will discuss evidence-based strategies to navigate internal pressures from…
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