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.

How Class and Culture Impact Philanthropy

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords from Arizona and Louis D. Brown, a young African-American man growing up in Dorchester, Mass., were both shot. Gifford’s shooter was white, mentally ill and “acted alone.” Louis’ killer was young, black, and possibly involved with a gang. We must address the social…

What Does Your Board Do When Consensus Isn’t Possible?

Most family foundations tend to conduct their grantmaking by continuing the discussion until everyone either agrees or at least agrees to commit to a decision. This approach can be time consuming, but rewarding.  What happens, though, when you can’t all agree? What do you do when one director…

How Do Family Foundations Make Giving Decisions?

How do foundations make giving decisions? Hope Consulting and Guidestar have released the much-anticipated Money for Good II study (MFG II) to answer these questions. Here is what they found about foundations-a category dominated by family foundations. Foundations research nine out of 10 grants to…

The Greedy Giver

by Suzanne Skees The world reverberates with crashing economies and toppling dictatorships from Detroit to Italy, Egypt to Syria; and one vital outcome of these changes is this: Everyday people know more about one another, feel connected through communication, and take action in the collective.…

The Family Conference from Another Perspective

by Daniela Fainberg The Council's Family Philanthropy Conference is an opportunity for international philanthropists to meet and exchange experiences with peers from the U.S. and other countries. It is a place to learn with other participants representing other foundations and specialists…

Moving From Overwhelmed to an Opportunity

by Nelli Garton I know I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world and the incredible needs that philanthropy is trying to address. We can't fulfill these on our own, so where do we start? Are we just providing short-term solutions when the whole system is breaking down?…

It’s About Family Giving, Not Just Family Foundations

by Robin Schein In February, the Council on Foundations will bring together families from all over the country (and world!) to learn about and discuss the current issues affecting families who give. The 2012 Family Philanthropy Conference is not just for family foundations-it's for all families…

One Part Joy, One Part Challenge, All Family Foundation CEO

by Katherine Lorenz I am seven months into one of the most exciting opportunities of my life, which is also one of the greatest challenges of my life. Earlier this year, I became president of my family's foundation, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. My 92-year-old grandfather is still…

Fusion: It’s More Than Partnership

by Jillian C. Vukusich   I love the theme of the Family Philanthropy Conference (kudos to whoever came up with it). As we all know, philanthropy changes its mantra every so often. We’ve heard collaboration and partnership and community building. “Fusion” would be a great next trend. As you…

We Gather Together

by Mary Galeti American families have many traditions that cross religious, social, economic, and cultural boundaries. Taking time in the latter part of the year to give thanks for all we have is one of the most prevalent. Thanksgiving is a time for food, of course, but also for family (no matter…

Three Big Ideas from the World's Only Secretariat for Philanthropy

By: Dan Hymowitz and Heather Lord   In America, the debate lumbers on about the best way to coordinate the philanthropic sector and the U.S. government. Meanwhile, one post-conflict West African country has jumped right in — the Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat is the fruit of…

Conflicts of Interest at Foundations: Avoiding the Bad and Managing the Good

BoardSource | A partnership of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and the Council of Michigan Foundations Even the most comprehensive conflict-of-interest policy cannot cover every conceivable situation where there might be the appearance of a conflict. Accordingly, conflict-of-…

Sample Value, Vision, and Mission Statements: The Warner Foundation

Excerpt from www.thewarnerfoundation.org Mission The mission of the Warner Foundation is to make long-term improvements in economic opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities and long-term improvements in race relations in North Carolina. Statement of Values These values guide…

When Bad Things Happened to a Good Foundation

by Martin Davis, Jr. and Bob Weiss Foundation News and Commentary "Once upon a time, there were two men—Carl L. Yeckel and Thomas W. Vett—who had jobs for which they made an almost unlimited amount of money and didn't have to answer to anyone. They didn't have to sell anything, produce a product…

Managing Expectations, Coping With Realities

Fundamentals
by Lee Draper Every year, scores of individuals are recruited to join the program staff of foundations. As program officers or directors, they allocate billions of dollars to the nonprofit organizations doing work in our communities and abroad. Despite being charged with such responsibility,…

Charitable Giving

Issue The charitable deduction is a tax provision which allows individuals to reduce their taxable income by the total amount of charitable contributions they made in that tax year (with some limitations, depending of the type of gift—i.e. cash, stocks, property—or the type of organization…
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