Family Philanthropy Transitions - Possibilities, Problems and Potential (NCFP, 2015)(MULTI USE)

Even if your family foundation or fund is very new, chances are you have already experienced at least one transition in the lifecycle of your giving program. What have been the keep turning points in the life of your fund from the founders' initial concept to the present? Which transitions can you see in the years ahead? How do you remember those past experiences? Did you plan for them or were they thrust upon you? Were the outcomes more positive and promising or tense and tumultuous?

“Foundations change, like it or not. The fundamental issue is whether they will change by chance or for significant reasons. The latter comes about only through conscious effort.”

- Frederick deWolfe Bolman, Jr.

In the quote above, Dr. Bolman encourages us to be the architects of our philanthropic futures rather than the victims. This Passages Issue Brief explores the circumstances and dynamics of transitions and shares the experiences of practitioners in dealing with them.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: You are purchasing a multi-use license for the PDF of this Passages Issue Brief from the National Center for Family Philanthropy. This means that you may save or print up to 10 copies of this article for other members of your board or staff only, and may distribute up to 10 copies in whole or part in any form (printed, PDF, etc.) to others affiliated with your organization. Please note that this license does not extend to individuals not affiliated with your organization.