The Calm Before the Board Books

This summer felt incredibly spacious for me, as I wrote about in a recent newsletter. I had room to think, follow my curiosity, and let my brain wander a bit.

And now… busy season is ON.

All of my clients have board meetings in Q4, which means I’m deep in the work of being the outsourced executive for three different private family foundations. I’m preparing agendas and board books, summarizing grant requests, pulling together financials, and having aaaaaalllll the pre-meetings with involved family members so we can accomplish as much as possible in the actual meetings (and avoid as many derailments as possible).

It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work, but it’s also where I get to help families make the most of their time together and move their philanthropy forward.

A few recent highlights to share with the class:

1. Making room for the next generation. I helped clients identify two additional G3 family members - both Millennials - to join their family foundation board. Both have committed to start their terms in January. I love seeing families make real progress on next-gen engagement, especially when it moves from “we should probably think about this” to actual people with actual start dates.

2. Philanthropy meets family travel. In a perfect mix of my personal and professional interests, I put together a full itinerary for clients planning a multigenerational family trip to explore a cause that’s central to their philanthropy. I love the idea of bringing a family’s giving to life in a way that everyone - from grandparents to grandkids - can experience together.

3. Following my favorite band to a very cool place. One of the many upsides of running my own business is the flexibility to sneak away for a night. Recently, I headed to Pelham, Tennessee, to see my favorite band, Parcels, at The Caverns, the coolest concert venue I’ve ever seen (outside of Red Rocks, of course). I will - and have - followed Parcels all over the world, so this was an easy yes.

As you can see, the spacious summer has given way to a very full fall. But I’m grateful for the variety; the serious planning, the family dynamics, the creative problem-solving, and the occasional concert adventure.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some board books to finish.

Parcels at The Caverns. October 13, 2026.