A typical philanthropic family? Probably not.

If the stereotype of a philanthropist is a silver-haired white man, then the stereotype of family philanthropy is his socialite wife, affluent middle-aged children, and entitled millennial grandchildren whose philanthropy entails social media "slacktivism."  Of course, the problem with such generalizations is that they're misleading, and in this case fails to reflect the diversity of cultural traditions and even individual family members' personalities, among other forms of diversity in family giving.

For family foundations, diversity can also mean:

• Adding non-family seats to a board
• Forming a standing advisory committee
• Convening grantees and community experts to inform and evaluate your giving

Learning From Other Family Foundations' Efforts in Diversity
To help you consider ways to approach diversity and inclusiveness within your own family's philanthropy, we've compiled information about what other family foundations have done in this area.  

• The slides/handouts from the National Center for Family Philanthropy's (NCFP) teleconference "Diverse Voices in Family Giving" (April 12), include information about how the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation incorporates diversity into its values, grantmaking and leadership.  (The Foundation's leaders also talk about this issue in this Council on Foundations video.)
• The guide Ten Ways for Family Foundations to Consider Diversity and Inclusive Practices (Council on Foundations, 2010) demonstrates how such practices might advance a family foundation's mission by making its work more effective and more reflective of the communities it serves.
• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation's formal statement about its Commitment to Inclusiveness and Diversity is one example of a family foundation's approach.
• Though a bit dated (1990), the words of former Weiboldt Foundation executive director Anne C. Hallett about the advantages and disadvantages of diversifying a family foundation's board still ring true today.
• These notes from Terry Hunt EdD, a trustee of the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, is another example of a family foundation dealing with diversity in the form of differing internal opinions and values among their leadership.

For more diversity resources from the broader philanthropic sector, visit the SDG website. 

(Member Resources>Tools & Practices for Effective Philanthropy>Diversity)  

for Family Philanthropy 

Grants from family foundations inch up
The Foundation Center's 2011 report, Key Facts on Family Foundations, reveals that family foundations in the U.S. awarded grants totaling $20.6 billion to nonprofits in 2010, an increase of 1.1 percent over 2009, a time when giving declined 3.4 percent.

Latest in NCFP CEO Leadership Guides published
The latest report in the National Center for Family Philanthropy's new CEO Leadership Guide Series, The Family Foundation CEO: Crafting Consensus Out of Complexity has been released. 

Worth the Read

Opinions & Insight  about Family Philanthropy

Family values influence philanthropy
Nichole Baker, vice president of development and donor relations at the California Community Foundation, reflects on how the discussion about communicating family legacy at last February's Council on Foundations Family Philanthropy Conference resonated with her.

Donor intent 

• Family foundations seem to be especially susceptible to donor-intent conflicts.  This article on the Philanthropy Roundtable blog by Jeffrey J. Cain, author of the guidebook Protecting Donor Intent, provides some examples of family foundations' attempts to recover donor intent.
• The head of the Philanthropy Roundtable submitted this op-ed to the Wall Street Journal that raises the concern about donor intent among foundations that exist in perpetuity (subscription required).
• A lawsuit against Johns Hopkins University over proposed development on land donated to it by the deceased relative of a wealthy family is one of the most recent examples of the challenges of maintaining donor intent. 

Southern California Grantmakers 2012 Conference on Family Philanthropy 

Santa Monica, CA
SDG members may attend for FREE!  Just follow the registration link above, select the registration type "RAG Affiliate Members," and enter the registration code FPC2012. 

Closing the Aspiration-Attainment Gap to a College Education

According to the study Building A Grad Nation, only 9 percent of low-income students actually receive college diplomas, compared to an estimated 54 percent of students from wealthy families.  This roundtable discussion will explore ways grantmakers can help close the "aspiration-attainment gap" to college, such as college preparedness programs, scholarships, mentoring, college saving accounts ("IDAs"), and college retention programs, to name a few.

NCFP TELECONFERENCE: At the Wheel -- Women in Family Philanthropy  

WEBINAR: Kellogg's Racial Healing Initiative

May 15, 2012, 9:30AM-11:30AM

One of a series of webinars about diversity that Northern California Grantmakers is opening up to members of SDG. This program is being presented by the Association of Black Foundation Executives and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation about the Kellogg Foundation's America Healing Initiative. 

California's Budget Challenges and Their Impact: A Conversation with State Senator Christine Kehoe

NCFP TELECONFERENCE: Celebrating Milestones in Family Philanthropy 

SDG's family foundation members may participate for FREE!

Cultures of Caring and Giving: Our Diverse Philanthropic Communities 

SDG Office
We invite you to join us in exploring how to engage with our Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, and African American communities in supporting philanthropic efforts to build a better San Diego and beyond.  Representatives from several national philanthropic affinity groups will share what they have learned about increasing high-impact philanthropic investment both from and for diverse communities.