Phil over at Gifthub points us to an article in the latest issue of Family Giving News, published by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, about the value of bringing on non-family members on to the boards of family foundations. I found this interesting:

Although subsequent generations had little to say about the original donor's reasons behind the appointment, author Kelin Gersick surmises that in some cases the philanthropic work was seen as a natural outgrowth of a family business, in which case the most qualified person was brought on board to manage the process, family or not. In other cases, however, it seems clear that the presence of these representatives was intended to quell anticipated family misbehavior, which the founding donor feared might stymie the family's giving.

Now we know why Warren Buffett just gave it all to the Gates Foundation.