Three years ago, Ann Murray and I were having lunch and discussing our favorite subjects: family, friends, and community. Ann and I are married to first cousins who are lawyers and partners in a family law firm in collaboration with brothers, cousins, sons, and a daughter—nine Murrays total. Collectively, we have 30 children and 17... Read More
Are you equipped to recognize conflicts of interest and acts of self-dealing? Are you ready to respond if you uncover either at your foundation? Start here, and if you have further questions after reading this article, don’t hesitate to call on Exponent Philanthropy. Recognizing conflicts of interest Conflicts of interest arise when foundation roles intersect... Read More
Most conversations on succession planning turn to how to bring on the next generation or whether to sunset the foundation. Eldon and Betts Mayer thought differently. They wondered if their community on an island in Maine would be willing to take on their family foundation. Three years later, the fund has an engaged board of... Read More
Board self-assessment is a process by which you objectively gather board members’ perspectives about how your foundation operates, compile what you learn, and report your findings to the full board so it can learn from the information, leverage successes, and address any shortcomings. In our experience, boards that make time for self-assessments tend to accomplish... Read More
Diana Bittner was excited. She was inspired. She was ready to learn. As a trustee of the Tracy Family Foundation (TFF), Bittner was one of seven TFF members from across the United States who converged in Phoenix, Arizona, to attend the Exponent Philanthropy’s 2015 CONNECT Conference. Bittner and her fellow TFF trustees spent three days... Read More
Within hours of the September 11 World Trade Center terrorist attack, my voicemail and email were overloaded with requests for services from corporations, mental health agencies, and schools. All were looking for assistance in how to help adult survivors cope with the sudden traumatic death of their loved ones and support the grieving children and... Read More