Evaluation, Foundation Management, Implementation, Strategy

Finding the Right Fit

We knew about the challenges of bringing a group of people behind a common goal through our previous work with funding circles. When a well-known family asked us to help bring them together for a one-off philanthropic project, we led multiple individual interviews with the family members, as well as extended workshops with the group, to understand the different interests and to narrow them down to a handful of projects representing thematic and geographic areas that everybody could get behind.

The Engagement

A Swiss family holding company decided that an extraordinary dividend from the company should be used for a set of new and innovative philanthropic projects, thereby bringing around the table family and board members across generations.

Our Role

Through one-on-one interviews and workshops with the family, we helped develop the selection criteria for identifying worthwhile projects. This process can often be very emotional for families, so using an outsider for guidance can help objectify it and cancel out potential toxic energy. Thanks to our extensive international network and field experience, we were able to identify a number of potential organizations and different types of projects that fit the criteria. The family was then able to take a decision on the portfolio of grantees to support, which we then monitored over the next several years.