By: Leslie Gross, Senior Advisor A foundation trustee called me last week, voice tight with frustration: “Our strategic plan commits us to equity. Our grantmaking advances equity. But now we’re being told to scrub ‘equity’ from everything we touch. How do we stay true to who we are?” Here’s what I told her and what […]

I have been in the business of philanthropy for 24 years and I have never observed such seismic shifts in the sector. Some shifts we have seen coming for a long time, like the Great Wealth Transfer and passing of the baton of family leadership from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials. Other shifts […]

In philanthropy, data isn’t just numbers—it’s about people, lives, communities, and impact. As family foundations and philanthropists increasingly focus on outcomes, transparency, and strategic giving, how that data is understood becomes just as important as what the data says. Your giving data may be meticulously tracked in a spreadsheet, but without visual storytelling, the tracked […]

“What will happen to our family foundation when our parents, aunts and uncles don’t want to lead it anymore? I am not sure I know how to govern our family foundation.” “Can my children properly steward our family foundation to lead it well into the future? They’re not ready yet; they need a roadmap to […]

How long should your family’s philanthropic mission and impact exist? Should you focus your giving efforts while you’re alive to maximize impact? Should your philanthropic mission extend beyond you for a set number of years to be managed by your family or close family advisors? Does your philanthropic strategy lend itself to a perpetual model? […]

“If you’ve seen one family foundation, you’ve seen one family foundation.” This maxim accurately captures the complexity and uniqueness of family philanthropy. Acknowledging this, there are common threads in the typical evolution of family foundations. Families face similar points of inflection as they gain experience in their grantmaking and their own families change shape through […]

“How much is enough to leave my children and grandchildren?” This is a common question posed in the estate planning process and it is not an easy one to answer. You want to keep your family hungry to find their purpose in life while also providing a cushion for your family to take risks and […]

Adding a new professional into the mix of a family foundation can be a complex process. Having a search firm lead the process can be the difference maker in finding the right executive for your foundation. Considerations in successful hiring include a probable shift in staff culture and building a healthy rapport with the family […]

You may find yourself at a crossroads; the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors are rapidly changing. Changes in policy, funding streams and community needs make for challenging circumstances for effective philanthropy. Whether you are part of a philanthropic or a foundation staff seeking to maximize impact, navigating the philanthropic landscape has never been more complex. A […]

Effective philanthropy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. For individuals and families looking to align their giving with their financial and legacy goals, collaboration among key advisors is essential. At Grant Philanthropic Advisors, we take a holistic approach, working closely with wealth advisors, tax and estate planning attorneys, and CPAs to ensure that philanthropy is integrated […]

One thing is abundantly clear, we are living in the middle of major economic and policy disruption affecting the nonprofit sector which ties directly into the philanthropic community. Everyday, I look at the news and learn about new policy changes impacting our sector and corresponding legal action. How do you make sense of it all […]

Why does Due Diligence matter? Building a strategic nonprofit portfolio requires more than just selecting causes that resonate with personal values. To ensure long-term impact, donors must conduct thoughtful due diligence to assess whether organizations are well-governed, financially stable, and delivering meaningful results. A strong philanthropic strategy is built on informed decision-making—one that goes beyond […]

As a philanthropist, you have the exhilarating opportunity to maximize your impact with your charitable dollars, your time and your connections. Early on in the planning phase, you may consider: Should I focus on a specific issue or a specific place to drive my philanthropic efforts? Or maybe it is a combination of the two. […]

Regular connection with the nonprofit community is critical to being an effective philanthropist. One of the most immersive ways to be effective is to conduct site visits at nonprofit organizations. These visits provide a firsthand look at how nonprofits operate, the communities they serve, and the tangible outcomes of their programs.  Site visits can broaden […]

Why do you want to invest your time working with an independent philanthropic advisor? As the great wealth transfer is taking place, working with an independent philanthropic advisor can help accelerate an effective philanthropic process as assets are changing hands. Advisors work collaboratively with you and your advising team to reach your collective financial goals. […]