What Philadelphia Taught Us: CHF at the NCFP National Forum

Last week, Change Happens Foundation traveled to Philadelphia for the National Forum on Family Philanthropy, held November 4 through 6. We came home educated, entertained, and deeply inspired. Most of all, we came home grateful for what the experience gave the newest generation of our family.

A gathering of families who give

The National Center for Family Philanthropy hosts the Forum every other year, and attendance is limited to people directly involved in a family philanthropy. That choice shapes everything. The rooms are full of donors, board members, staff, and rising family leaders who carry the same questions we do: how to give well, how to govern well, and how to do both together as a family.

For a foundation like ours, that kind of company is rare. Much of our work happens around our own board table. In Philadelphia, we sat with families at every stage of their giving, traded honest stories about what has worked and what has not, and realized how much we share.

The sessions stretched our thinking, and the conversations in the hallways and over dinner often stretched it further. There was plenty of laughter along the way, too.

A crash course in what philanthropy can be

Our Generation 3 directors arrived not quite knowing what to expect. They left with more than they ever imagined.

Joining a family foundation board means stepping into a story that began before you. It can feel like learning a new language while the conversation is already underway. The Forum gave them a crash course in what philanthropy can be: a way for a family to express its values, learn together, and stay connected across generations.

They met peers their own age who are taking on the same responsibilities in their own families. They heard from people who have devoted their careers to this work. And they saw, all in one place, the full range of what thoughtful giving looks like. Watching them take it all in was a highlight of the trip for those of us who have been at this a while.

What we are bringing home

We returned to our respective homes with full notebooks and a renewed sense of purpose. What we learned will inform our work across our three pillars of Education, Environmental Science, and Human Services, and in the communities we serve in Iowa and along the West Coast.

Just as important, it will shape how we welcome the next generation into the heart of this work, with a real role, a real voice, and real responsibility.

With gratitude

Our thanks to the National Center for Family Philanthropy, the Forum planning committee, and every family who shared their experience so openly. To our Generation 3 directors: thank you for showing up curious and open. We cannot wait to see where this inspiration takes you, and all of us.