Tempel

The Foundation Incubator (TFI), a leading provider of philanthropic services based in California, has joined forces with the IU Center on Philanthropy.

TFI will now be known as the Philanthropy Incubator and will become a program of the Center on Philanthropy. The Philanthropy Incubator will have an office in Silicon Valley, Calif.

The Philanthropy Incubator will build on TFI’s previous work to provide a wide range of training and education services to support the field of philanthropy. At the same time, it will give the IU Center on Philanthropy, one of the premier academic institutions in philanthropy, the opportunity to expand its programs serving individuals, foundations, and professional and financial advisers.

The Philanthropy Incubator will provide workshops with experts, peer discussion groups, customized training services and other resources. It will be a part of the center’s philanthropic services unit, which also includes the Women’s Philanthropy Institute and the Lake Family Institute on Faith and Giving.

“We are very fortunate that the Philanthropy Incubator will have as its foundation the outstanding, top-quality programs and services created by the Foundation Incubator,” said Gene Tempel, executive director of the IU Center on Philanthropy. “Combining TFI’s highly regarded strengths in this area with the center’s leadership in research, education and training will enable us to take these services to the next level and make them available nationally and internationally.”

“We’re thrilled about this exciting new opportunity,” said Elizabeth Bremner, president of TFI. “For the past four years, TFI has served clients interested in new approaches to philanthropy. We've provided training and services to philanthropists and foundations interested in achieving the greatest possible impact with their philanthropic investments. Becoming part of Indiana University, whose work in philanthropy is unparalleled, is a strong vote of confidence in the approach TFI developed and gives the Philanthropy Incubator a terrific opportunity to meet a growing need for these services.”

Lynne O’Hara, founder of the Special Hope Foundation, a current TFI client, is particularly enthusiastic about the new Philanthropy Incubator. “This is a great development for my work as a grantmaker, and it’s equally important for the field,” she said. “The incubator has given me the chance to work with other philanthropists and to expand my understanding of the best way to actually make a difference. Now, I will have a larger network of colleagues to work with, and more tools at my disposal.”

The Foundation Incubator opened its doors in 2001 in Palo Alto, Calif., to stimulate innovation and collaboration in philanthropy by adapting the incubator model for start-up businesses to philanthropy. The Foundation Incubator’s community of individual philanthropists and new and established foundations grew to 47 members, representing $16 billion in philanthropic assets. TFI provided workshops and special programs for its members, as well as one-on-one coaching, mentoring and referrals to experts in the field.