Stewardship Principles for Family Foundations

Through their philanthropy, families aspire to achieve a lasting and positive impact on society. Families’ resources extend well beyond money to include leadership and reputation, time and talent, passion and commitment. Families strive to be responsible stewards of their foundation resources, to uphold the public trust and to practice their philanthropy in ways that reflect fundamental values, including honesty, integrity, fairness and trust. As private entities operating for public purposes, family foundations must comply with federal, state and local law––but most go further. These Stewardship Principles and Practice Options to Strengthen Performance describe how family foundations can reflect these fundamental values in their board governance, management
and grant making.