Publications and Media

Crain Currency

Crain Currency asked me to contribute ideas to its Dec. 2023 article “What Philanthropy is poised to look like in 2024”

Dedicating More of the Great Wealth Transfer to Philanthropy

I was invited to co-author an article for the March 2023 issue of Trusts & Estates.


NCFP Family Giving Lifecycle Toolkit

Published in early 2022, the 7 primers and 25 worksheets help donors and their staff and advisors navigate critical decisions in family philanthropy. The materials are free for public use.

Questions to Ask a DAF Sponsor Organization
Image of part of the front page of the Questions to Ask DAF Sponsors PDF

Revised in Nov. 2020, a list of questions to assess DAF sponsors as you consider establishing or moving a Donor-Advised Fund.

Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence Webinar

Sep. 2020 webinar recording

Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence: Strategy Guide
Cover of Balancing Purpose, Payout, and Permanence Strategy Guide PDF #privatefoundation #payout

(2020) Strategy guide and related Discussion Guide to help private foundations strengthen investment governance, understand the spectrum of options in payout, and develop spending rates based on purpose, conditions and trends, time horizon, and more.

Leadership in Difficult Times: Guidance for Donors and Giving Families
Image of cover of Leadership in Difficult Times PDF

(2020, with Jason Born) Provides resources and inspiration for short-term responses to the COVID-19 and economic crises.

Community Foundation Family Philanthropy Playbook
Image of the Community Foundation Playbook website homepage

(2019) Nine modules to help plan and deliver more sophisticated philanthropic services. Also useful for other community philanthropy organizations such as women’s funds and Jewish federations.

Community Foundation Family Philanthropy Readiness Self-Assessment
Image of the Readiness Self-Assessment report

(2017) Online survey tool to help staff frame internal questions and decisions about offering services to multi-branch and multi-generation families.

Expanding Your Comfort Zone: A Window into Risk in Family Philanthropy

(2016) Issue Brief to help generous families and foundations assess philanthropic risk, tame and mitigate risk, and even expand their comfort zone to embrace uncertainty.

Risk in Philanthropy

(2016) Annotated graphic to accompany the Expanding Your Comfort Zone brief.

Navigating Family Philanthropy Series

Published in 2022/23, the 5 guides, road maps, and webinars help donors involve other family members as they plan for meaningful, effective philanthropy together.

Defining Your Family’s Philanthropic Purpose

June 2022 webinar for Schwab Charitable and National Center for Family Philanthropy

Speaking of Change Podcast
Sept. 2021 podcast about Advocacy, Agency, and Philanthropy in Pittsburgh
Advocacy and Public Policy – Philanthropy’s New Capital
Cover of "Gift of Belief" book. It is a painting of the tall University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning building behind a row of two-story houses and trees.

Chapter in The Gift of Belief: Philanthropy and the forging of Pittsburgh, edited by Kathleen W. Buechel, published by University of Pittsburgh Press in June 2021.

Involving Donors in Community Crises and Leadership Opportunities
Aug. 2020 webinar for community foundations
Melton Family Case Study
Genogram of three generations of the Melton family.

(2019) Two-part case study to help students and graduates of the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy program understand what happens after a wealth event and the start of a family foundation (not available to the public).

Resource Guide for Family Philanthropy
Image of first page of the Resource Guide for Family Philanthropy

(2019) Resource guide to help students and graduates of the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy program understand client motivations for seeking philanthropic advice, types of advice and advisors, team roles, and more (not available to the public).

This is what impact investing is-and why Fort Wayne should be talking about it

2019 interview about the power of impact investing in philanthropy.

6 Grantmaking Models
Chart of 6 grantmaking models, arranged from easier to more time intensive.

(2018) Summary of choices funders can make in their portfolio of grantmaking programs.

Case Study: Navigating a Community Foundation’s Roles Among a Family’s Professional Advisors
Image of the cover of the Community Foundation family philanthropy case study PDF

(2017) Explores the questions, considerations, and challenges facing a community foundation as it works with a business-owning family’s team of trusted advisors.

A Quirky Grass-Roots Effort Supports an Array of ‘Awesome’ Projects
2012 interview about Awesome Pittsburgh