Knowledge pillar
Foundation setup, impact measurement, donor-advised funds, catalytic capital, and SDG-aligned giving strategies.
Since 2019, MacKenzie Scott has committed $17.3 billion to 2,300+ organisations with zero restrictions, no application process, and no reporting requirements. Her Yield Giving model challenges five decades of private foundation orthodoxy.
Effective philanthropic governance balances family stewardship with independent expertise. This guide examines board design, decision rights, term structures, and succession mechanics across foundation lifecycles.
Family offices deployed $2.1bn in catalytic capital in 2023. This deep-dive examines first-loss structures, concessionality pricing, governance protocols, and three implementation archetypes for climate, financial inclusion, and health systems.
How family foundations integrate mission-related investments across asset classes—distinguishing MRI from PRIs and grantmaking, navigating IRS rules, and avoiding common failure modes from greenwashing to governance fatigue.
Most family foundations measure too much or too little. A structured comparison of IRIS+, IMP's five dimensions, Theory of Change, and SROI—with implementation guidance and metric panels for education, climate, and health programmes.
Seventy-three percent of family offices now engage in philanthropy, yet only 28 percent measure impact systematically. A structured maturity model provides the roadmap from ad hoc giving to strategic, catalytic programmes.
Five questions decide which vehicle fits which set of philanthropic aims. The default — defaulting to a foundation because it sounds permanent — is usually the wrong frame.
The strongest philanthropic programmes inside family offices look more like operating businesses than charitable accounts. They have strategy, talent, metrics, and a governance structure separate from the office.
Foundation governance differs from family-office governance in a critical way: it must protect the mission against the family, not just on its behalf.
Definitions every principal and advisor working in this area should be fluent in.
Curated insights on governance, investment, and operations for family office professionals. No noise, no sales pitches.
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