TrustForward
Strategic Philanthropy for Trustees
Trust-based, long-term philanthropy that helps you invest with confidence and multiply your community impact, through vetted grassroots nonprofit partners.
The Mission
The Nonprofit Collective Foundation (NCF) supports grassroots nonprofits across the U.S. by providing unrestricted funding, mentorship, education, and operational resources that help them grow stronger and last longer, starting in New York City and extending throughout the U.S.
NCF provides unrestricted funding to grassroots organizations, recognizing their crucial role in effective operations. We aim to empower these groups to achieve growth and make meaningful impacts in their communities.
The Problem & The Gap
The nonprofit funding gap
90% of charitable funding goes to 15% of nonprofits.
Small nonprofits are on the frontlines serving, strengthening, and shaping communities, yet they’re too often overlooked.
Funding concentration:
Source noted in deck: National Center for Charitable Statistics.
Why Give
The case for strategic philanthropy
Strategic giving helps trustees align wealth with purpose and create measurable, lasting change.
Reasons to give:
Create Lasting Legacy
Leverage your resources to create systemic change that reflects your values and creates generational impact.
The Multiplier Effect
Strategic giving generates multiple dollars of community value and seeds innovation that attracts larger institutional funding.
Strategic Tax Benefits
Charitable giving offers significant tax advantages.
Personal Fulfillment
Connect wealth to purpose in tangible ways and build meaningful relationships with change-makers and communities.
How to Give Effectively
Principles trustees can use immediately
The Transformative Power of Volunteerism
Why volunteering changes outcomes, and you
Skills-based impact
Apply your professional expertise in new contexts that sharpen skills and develop fresh perspectives, creating purpose beyond professional achievement.
Personal growth
Exposure to different communities builds empathy, expands problem-solving, breaks echo chambers, and inspires new thinking.
The helper’s high
Research shows volunteering reduces stress, improves mental health, triggers endorphin release, and is linked to increased life satisfaction and longevity.
Empowerment in action
Move from observer to change-maker with concrete evidence your contributions matter.
A Portfolio Approach to Giving
A Portfolio Approach to Giving
Multiply impact by combining different types of giving
Financial
- Direct donations (unrestricted operating support, program grants, capital campaigns)
- Strategic vehicles (private foundations such as NCF provide strong control of where you invest time & money)
- Pooled giving (combine resources for transformational grants)
Time & Expertise
- Volunteerism (hands-on support, skills-based volunteering)
- Board committee service (governance, NCF committee participation)
- Pro bono work (finance, legal, marketing, HR)
Relationships
- Mentorship (one-on-one guidance to nonprofit leaders)
- Strategic connections (introduce leaders to funders, board members, partners)
- Amplification (share stories, host events, advocate for policy changes)
Understanding Social Entrepreneurship
What is a social entrepreneur?
Social entrepreneurs apply innovative, entrepreneurial principles to solve social, cultural, or environmental challenges. They measure success by positive social impact, using market-based approaches to achieve sustainability.
Common traits:
Mission driven
Innovative
Community led
Systems oriented
Sustainable
How NCF Makes Giving Easy
Rigorous vetting + trustee-aligned matching
NCF solves the trustee challenge by handling due diligence and stewarding the process.
NCF nonprofit assessment areas
Financial health (Form 990/financials, reserves, program expense ratio guidance)
Impact & effectiveness (theory of change, outcomes vs outputs, continuous improvement)
Governance & leadership (diverse engaged board, leadership stability, community voice)
Green flags (plans, diverse funding, transparency)
Red flags (declining revenue without explanation, turnover, lack of transparency, overly aggressive fundraising)
Processes
TrustForward Process
Trustees define the vision; NCF stewards the rest
- Step 01 - Select the cause(s) you care about
What type of nonprofit are you passionate about? - Step 02 - Location
Identify your geographic focus (local or national). - Step 03 - Amount
Set the grant amount per nonprofit. - Step 04 - Trust the process
NCF stewards the rest on your behalf.
NCF Grant Process
From opportunity to awards
- Open a grant opportunity aligned with your priorities
- Thoughtful review of 300–400 nonprofit applications
- Identify 20 mission-aligned organizations for deeper analysis
- Expert grant committee selects 10 finalists
- Optional funder review (if desired)
- Final stewardship decision/board approval
