Philanthropy
Assessing Philanthropic Need: The Sandgaard Foundation Finds its Funding Focus by Listening and Learning
As some of you will remember, last spring I announced that Hammer & Associates had launched and was managing The Sandgaard Foundation, a new private Denver-based foundation that aims to make a national impact on the opioid crisis. Founder Thomas Sandgaard—an entrepreneur, business leader, and musician—had discovered the devastating impact of opioid use disorder, and…
Q&A with Percy Barnevik: Turning Passion into Impact
Percy Barnevik is a Swedish business executive, best known for running some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Swedish construction giant Skanska, Swiss engineering firm ABB Ltd and UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plc. In the U.S., he sat on the boards of DuPont and General Motors. In 2004, he founded Hand in…
Philanthropy Reading and a Ride
Is this summer flying by for you as it is for me? Mine started with an annual trip to London for the Global Family Office Forum conference at the Dorchester Hotel. It was wonderful to be back in London, see old friends, meet new colleagues, and learn about new trends in the family office world.…
Why Your Mission Matters
It almost goes without saying: whether you are a foundation, family office or individual donor, you need a clear mission statement. A mission is no guarantee you will change the world, but you can’t begin to do anything powerful and meaningful without it. You may think a mission statement may pigeonhole your giving, and that’s…
Starting a Values Conversation
“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.” ~ Elvis Presley The way to fulfillment in philanthropy—and by and large as a family—is the degree to which you are driven by purpose and shared values. In other words, why you give matters just as much, if…
Impact Investing in the Family Office, FOE Spring 2016
We are pleased to announce that our article titled “Impact Investing in the Family Office” has been published in the spring edition of Family Office Elite Magazine! Impact investing, an investing approach that intentionally seeks to create both financial return and positive social return, can be a complicated marketplace. We discuss reasons for getting…
How Family Office Staff Can Support Family Philanthropy
With the holiday gifting frenzy behind us, and now that we’re well into the new year, I’ve been thinking about how wealthy families can sustain the generous (albeit impulsive) spirit of the holidays into more strategic giving throughout the year. Wouldn’t that be a fantastic resolution to keep? While what I like to call “spray…
Stories from London
In June I spent a whirlwind week in London. I was there for the Global Family Office Forum where I presented the findings of our report Philanthropy in the Family Office: A Global Perspective, and led a panel on the same. While in London, I met many wonderful families and family office staff committed to…
Philanthropy in the Family Office…Presented in London!
We are very excited to present the findings of our white paper “Philanthropy in the Family Office: A Global Perspective” during the Global Family Office Community gathering of family offices and their staff on June 2, 2015 in London. The comprehensive report discusses philanthropy in the family office and trends around next gen giving, social…
When Grant Partnerships Go Bad
How much information do you want from your grant partners? I ask this because I recently heard about a situation where a funder’s grantee organization had an internal team implosion. This resulted in a falling out between employees, a termination, and a perceived lack of balanced action on the part of the executive director. In…
Perpetuity vs. Spend Down Research
Perpetuity vs. Spend-down Research Let’s face it: No one likes to think about our own mortality. Still, if you have a foundation or are an active philanthropist, it helps to think now about what you want to happen to your philanthropy after your lifetime. According to a 2009 Foundation Center report, 63 percent of foundations plan…
How to Talk Philanthropy with Your Clients
If you are a trusted advisor to wealthy individuals or families, chances are you’ve talked with your client at some point about their philanthropy. Perhaps it was a hurried 4th quarter conversation, as charitable giving for tax reasons kicks into a higher gear. Or maybe you felt it was something outside your realm of expertise…