Small Family Foundations Find Ways to Have a Bigger Impact

As mega-philanthropies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation draw attention for devoting huge sums to tackling big global problems, the smaller family-run funds mushrooming across the country are finding ways to maximize their effectiveness with fewer resources, The Wall Street Journal writes.

Some philanthropic families “sidestep the long shadows cast by these foundation heavyweights—by pinpointing specific needs, sometimes local or largely unacknowledged, that no one else is angling to support,” the Journal writes.

The article focuses on the Chicago-based Pierce Family Foundation, which assists homelessness charities with modest but unrestricted operating grants—typically around $25,000—along with extensive help with management, fundraising, and information technology. Other Chicago grant makers are soliciting Pierce’s advice on providing similar help to their grantees.