CUSTOMIZED PROCESS

Phase I: Discovery & Values Clarification

We begin with deep introspective work to uncover what matters most to your family. Through carefully crafted exercises and individual conversations, we help you honor donor intent while evolving the foundation’s direction, identify core values that will drive decision-making, articulate your vision for impact, and build connections across generations.

Sample Engagement

A family engaged in foundational values clarification work that established the groundwork for more strategic philanthropy, culminating in Mission, Vision, and Values Statements that reflected the family’s collective priorities and aspirations.

Phase II: Strategic Focus

Working from your mission, vision, and values statements, we help you define clear focus areas aligned with family interests, develop geographic targeting strategies, design grant-making approaches, and build evaluation frameworks.

Sample Engagement

A Foundation examined and refined its grantmaking practices, processes, and decision-making frameworks to ensure alignment with established governance structures and evolving family values while honoring the founders’ legacy and donor intent.

Phase III: Operations & Governance

We guide you through key operational decisions: grant-making processes and criteria; board engagement and next-generation inclusion, resource allocation and staffing, and public presence and communications.

Sample Engagement

A Foundation established a hybrid governance model that balanced professional staff oversight with meaningful family involvement, including creating a next-generation advisory committee and implementing a structured grant review process that emphasized both rigorous evaluation and family values alignment.