Family Philanthropy Archives - Exponent Philanthropy

Blog

Topic: “Family Philanthropy”

Passing the Baton: How One Foundation Is Expanding Equity Through Relay Grants

The Holloway Family Foundation’s Annual Relay Grant is a streamlined, trust-based approach to grantmaking that places funding decisions in the hands of women nonprofit leaders of color. In 2020, several reports highlighted persistent disparities in philanthropic giving to women and girls of color, as well as inequities in funding for organizations led by people of... Read More

Engaging the Next Generation: A Starting Point for Foundations

Engaging the next generation in philanthropy can be both exciting and challenging. Whether you’re thinking of children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or younger staff and board members, many foundations struggle to find meaningful ways to bring them into the fold. “The most important thing is to treat young people as equals at the board table,” says... Read More

Family Foundation Trends from the 2025 Operations and Management Report

Family foundations are a cornerstone of philanthropy, channeling generational wealth into impactful grantmaking and community initiatives. These foundations are often guided by the values, traditions, and priorities of a donor family, resulting in distinct governance structures, staffing patterns, and grantmaking approaches. Whether entirely family-run or including nonfamily board members, family foundations play a vital role... Read More

Mapping the Lean Funder’s Equity Journey

We’ve interviewed dozens of lean funders at various points during their equity journeys over the years. Through those conversations, emails, and a review of documents, policies, and practices, we were able to create a rough map of the lean funder’s equity journey. This journey has four phases: Thinking about equity Making policy changes Building trust... Read More

How Lean Funders Engage the Foundation’s Board in Racial Equity Work

The most frequent equity question lean funders ask us is: How do I engage my board in racial equity work? Unfortunately, there is not an easy nor straightforward answer. As we interviewed foundation boards and staff across the country in various phases of equity work, we heard two main approaches to engaging the board in... Read More

Who Drives Equity Conversations at Lean Foundations?

One question we hear time and time again is: Who is driving racial equity work at leanly staffed foundations? This question often comes from a board or staff member who is interested in racial equity work but does not know how to get their foundation engaged. In our interviews with funders across the country revealed... Read More