November 27, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Do people outside of philanthropy understand what a family foundation does?
Elizabeth R. Miller, a program associate at the Overbrook Foundation in New York, writes on Future Leaders in Philanthropy that, for most, the answer to that question is no.
In fact, most of Ms. Miller’s friends and family simply assume that she spends most of her time handing out grant money to deserving charities.
But, in truth, her job is much more complex.
“[I] have ‘chores’ whether it’s drafting minutes from committee or board meetings, responding to letters of inquiry that the foundation is unable to fund, cleaning out grant files or setting up for meetings; I search for missing pieces of grant proposals; I even make trips downtown to the flower district to pick up orchids before our quarterly board meetings,” Ms. Miller writes.
And it’s that diversity of functions — mixed with the fact that she believes strongly in the mission of the foundation — that makes her job rewarding.
“Luckily, I happen to share the specific set of values with the family I’m employed by (which is why I’m so happy with my job),” she writes. “Yet I constantly remind myself that I’m merely a steward of a family and that the work I do is for them.”
Is working for a family foundation different than working for a private foundation or community foundation? Do you find the work more or less rewarding than other careers in philanthropy? Click on the comments link below to share your experiences.
