Nonprofit Literature Blog

Family Foundation CEO Guides

The National Center for Family Philanthropy is a DC-based nonprofit that helps family foundations understand and meet their governance and management needs. To further this mission, they have recently published a four-part series of reports designed to help CEOs of family foundations do their jobs more effectively. They also provide guidance for families in hiring and evaluating their leaders. I’ll describe the reports here, and also cite some other related material on family foundation management.

The Family Foundation CEO: Crafting Consensus Out of Complexity written by Virginia M. Esposito, founder and president of the National Center, is based on input from executives and attempts to create some consensus on topics such as how to conduct a successful leadership search, the qualities of an effective leader, the ideal relationiship between the board and the CEO, and other leadership issues. Apparently there is a need for such standards, as the report states that about 80% of CEOs had no orientation to their new position, the field, or the board and family. Esposito also talks about the family member as CEO and special circumstances attendant to family staff leadership, such as the difficulty in conducting a review of family members. Another helpful chapter reveals the “board chair point of view” and outlines five themes for CEO effectiveness, such as the ability to understand family culture and dynamics.

The next three reports are written by Susan Crites Price, former V.P. of the National Center. The first, Help Wanted: The Complete Guide to Hiring a Family Foundation CEO examines the search process more in-depth, and tells how to form a search committee, conduct interviews, and compose job descriptions. Price reveals that one topic that is often “tiptoed around” is family culture and dynamics. Trustees want to put their best foot forward and don’t want to say “our family doesn’t play well with others.” Talking openly about this topic with individual board members during the interview process, including nonfamily members, is quite helpful.

The First Year: The Complete Guide for New Family Foundation CEOs and their Boards of Directors focuses on the initial year of a CEO's tenure at a family foundation, and offers practical advice for a smooth transition. Price discusses how to develop strong board/staff relations, suggests ways to learn about the foundation, the grantees and the community, and emphasizes that the top priority of any incoming CEO is getting to know the family. She stresses that a CEO “can’t make a single move on program until [they’ve] done that.” Price also recommends that incoming leaders "check egos at the door," explaining that many executive directors “flame out … [when they place their] ideas, passions, and needs before those of the family.”

Lastly, Performance Review: The Complete Guide to Evaluating the Family Foundation CEO shows how boards can effectively evaluate their chief executives. This volume is more of a workbook, and includes board review documents and evaluation worksheets, as well as a year-long goal setting plan for career development. The centerpiece is the Career Development Plan provided by the Knott Foundation, which is very detailed with specific goals, action plans, metrics, and timetables that can provide structure to the incoming CEO’s first year on the job.

Taken as a whole, all four guides (found under call number 514 in all Center libraries) should be enough for any family foundation to familiarize themselves with the process of hiring, orienting, evaluating, and keeping a good CEO on board. Other works at Foundation Center libraries targeted at family foundations include the popular Family Foundation Handbook (CCH Incorporated, 2011) and the bimonthly periodical Family Foundation Advisor at the New York Library. Both give advice on a host of legal, administrative, and financial issues.

--Rob Bruno
Catalog/Reference Librarian
The Foundation Center

Five Good Ideas

Five Good Ideas, an initiative of the Toronto-based Maytree organization, is a popular lunch-and-learn program that brings together experts in the nonprofit sector to discuss ways to make charities run better. It's the brainchild of Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar, who thought of the idea when returning from a conference that they felt lacked any worthwhile takeaways.

The formula behind Five Good Ideas is simple: a leader in a certain field is chosen to do a 20 minute presentation on a management-related topic (fundraising, governance, etc.) which is followed by a 20 minute discussion. The catch is that each presentation must adhere to the “five” rule: give attendees five ideas they can take back to the office, share with colleagues, and apply to their work.

This is where the book comes in. Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success (Coach House Books, 2011) distills a few dozen of the these lunch-and-learn programs on the topics of leadership and vision, organizational effectiveness, human resources, resource development, communications, advocacy and policy, and governance. 

Robin Cordozo’s “Approaching Grantmakers Successfully” is perhaps the most relevant section to users of the Foundation Center, so we’ll look at that one first. Cordozo leads one of Canada’s largest foundations and conveys these five takeaways: 1) show how you can help a grantmaker achieve its objectives 2) do your homework 3) be aware of the competition for funding 4) be open to change and 5) pay attention to details. Some bits of advice in this chapter include "avoid approaching a grantmaker 'cold'" and to "be open to the possibility that grantmakers may suggest changes or alternative approaches to your work." As with all chapters in the book, the author provides suggestions for further reading and investigation (aka "five good resources").

Rocco Rossi’s discussion of leadership, on the other hand, conveys zen-like pieces of advice on being an effective leader, such as “focus on the journey, not the destination” and “we need to let go of the excess baggage in our lives.” The resources he suggests for further enlightenment are not your typical nonprofit texts.  Instead, he recommends reading inspirational material such as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho or listening to The Eagle’s album Desperado. The key is the takeaway: people will probably remember a piece of fiction or music better than a dry tome on leadership.

Five Good Ideas is not a handbook, nor is it intended to be one. It falls more along the lines of self-help books such as Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff that can be turned to when you need a quick dose of inspiration. It’s available in all Foundation Center libraries under call number 604 FIV. 

Other recently acquired titles that provide similar guidance include Nonprofit Management 101: a Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals (Jossey Bass, 2011) and You and Your Nonprofit: Practical Advice and Tips from the CharityChannel Professional Community (CharityChannel Press, 2011). Use the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature to see Foundation Center holdings.

--Rob Bruno
Catalog/Reference Librarian
Foundation Center--New York

Philanthropic Leadership Through Intergenerational Exchange

What can the next generation of philanthropic leaders offer? How can seasoned executives engage and support emerging leaders? 

More than 15 foundation executives and trustees were interviewed to explore generational issues facing the sector, resulting in Trading Power, a new report published by Council on Foundations, 21/64, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Resource Generation. 

Learn more by downloading the full document at the Council on Foundations web site.

Leadership Development: What is Your Role?

What are some of the steps you can take to bridge the generational divides at your organization and prepare for leadership transitions? The new book, Working Across Generations, helps you think about your role, whether you are a member of the traditional generation, a baby boomer, Generation Xer, or a millennial:

For example, millennials can concentrate on developing core skills and learning from more experienced staff.

Gen Exers should improving their management skills and focus on strengthening relationships between millennials and baby boomers.

Baby boomers can use their influence to promote emerging leaders and increase their level of authority.

Members of the silent generation may become mentors to Gen Xers and millennals, sharing lessons they have learned over the years.

The book contains many examples and exercises to help you reflect on your values and to determine what steps to take next.

Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership (Jossey-Bass 2008) is written by Frances Kunreuther, director of the Building Movement Project, Helen Kim, a nonprofit consultant, and Robby Rodriguez, executive director of  the SouthWest Organizing Project.

Click here to learn more about the book and to read the first chapter