As NCG prepares to enter 2015, we do so with new leadership, a new sense of purpose and a new strategic direction. Earlier this month we announced the appointment of Ellen LaPointe as the new President and CEO. As Ellen begins her tenure in January, she will be leading an energized membership-based association striving to increase the impact of philanthropy and to advance the social sector.
Last month, I spoke about bringing together the right mix of people to develop comprehensive solutions for our communities. As NCG works to increase the effectiveness of grantmaking, we recognize that having the “right people on the bus” mean having more than just grantmakers at the table. The challenges facing our communities are complex, entrenched and interconnected. And developing the necessary solutions to these challenges will require having government, business leaders, public policymakers, nonprofits, local community leaders and grantmakers all working together towards real world impact.
As a result, we’ve taken a long look at NCG’s membership criteria and I’m pleased to announce that the NCG Board has approved a ground-breaking expansion of our membership eligibility criteria.
In addition to NCG’s existing members (Private independent foundations, Private family foundations, Public foundations, Corporate foundations, Corporations with community giving programs, and Operating foundations), NCG members will now include:
- Giving circles
- Population focused funds
- Individual donors and donor-advised funds
- Governmental entities (city, county, state or federal) and departments
- Philanthropic Consultants: including philanthropic management entities that offer grants management services and individual consultants who provide programmatic management to organizations that meet NCG’s membership criteria.
- Nonprofit intermediary organizations whose primary function is to strengthen the nonprofit and/or philanthropic sector(s)
- Academic institutions that provide research
For more information on NCG’s new membership criteria, please visit our FAQs on NCG's Expanded Eligibility.
Since our Annual Conference, NCG has emphasized the power of working collaboratively. And we have reached out to a new universe of partners and collaborated in new and uncharted ways. Now the time is right to for us to look at ourselves and to fundamentally change what it means to be a regional association of grantmakers.
We are looking forward to working with all of our members-both new and existing-as we strive to redefine NCG’s role in building vibrant, just, equitable and sustainable communities across northern California.
Best,
David Greco
Interim President and CEO
Northern California Grantmakers
