What did they ask for?
Kelly Nowlin, Principal at KDN Philanthropy Consulting, brought We-Collab on board to support their engagement with the Merck Family Fund (MFF) during a critical transition period. With a new Executive Director stepping in after the long-standing tenure of their predecessor, the foundation was eager to assess its programmatic work over the past six years. MFF aimed to deepen its commitment to community impact while maintaining its founding principles of environmental preservation. MFF sought to develop a comprehensive 10-year funding strategy that reflected the priorities of younger generations in the family, centering communities in its work, and addressing emerging issues such as climate, health equity, and democracy efforts.
How did we help them?
We-Collab and KDN Consulting partnered to facilitate a strategic planning process for MFF. Our approach involved engaging the family, Board, and grantee partners to ensure a collective vision for the future. Key elements of our process included:
- Strategic Visioning: We guided Merck Family Fund's Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) through the creation of a 10-year plan that focused on governance, geographic focus, and grantmaking practices.
- Stakeholder Engagement: We engaged multiple generations of the Merck family through interviews, brainstorming sessions, and attended the family's annual retreat to integrate various perspectives into the process, especially from younger family members. This also allowed younger family members to present case studies on issues they were passionate about, helping shape discretionary funding decisions.
- Grantee Feedback: We interviewed grantees, who provided valuable insights that were incorporated into the strategic plan. This ensured that the funding strategy aligned with the needs of its community partners.
- Governance Reassessment: We helped MFF clarify its governance roles and shift toward a more progressive, community-driven approach.
Results
By guiding the Merck Family Fund through a comprehensive strategic planning process, we helped MFF develop a 10-year vision of governance, family engagement, and impact investing. We-Collab’s engagement with MFF resulted in significant progress:
- Multi-Year Funding: The foundation extended its grant terms to over three years—up from previous 1–3 year commitments—providing grantees with long-term support to allow progress to continue without interruption.
- Community-Centered Integration: MFF embedded community-centered principles across its governance, grantmaking, and operations, ensuring that decision-making, resource allocation, and strategy were grounded in the lived experiences, leadership, and needs of the communities it aims to serve.
- Geographic Focus & Clarity: The strategic plan redefined MFF’s geographic focus, ensuring that its efforts targeted areas with the greatest need and providing clarity in funding categories to align with its goals.
- Strengthened Systems Approach: The foundation embraced a systems approach to funding, which allowed it to widen its scope, address long-term community needs, and strengthen impact.
- Inclusion of Younger Voices: Younger family members’ involvement introduced fresh perspectives, helping the fund explore new initiatives and more provocative approaches. Their contributions were instrumental in shaping new priorities while maintaining the foundation’s core principles.