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Philanthropy is no longer just a box to check on the year-end planning list – over the last decade, strategic philanthropy has emerged as an invaluable tool for maximizing family engagement and creating targeted impact. This overlap of values and interests provides critical structure for families to come together to make targeted gifts. Panelists f...

At some point, most families ask if they should have a family meeting, recognizing the importance of providing a forum for sharing news, concerns, opportunities, and challenges in an open and direct way. Family meetings are often seen as a great place to learn, whether the topic is investments, business, legal matters, or the family itself. Further...

There are many benefits to involving children in family philanthropy. One of them is the children’s realization of the positive impact their own participation has on the world (no matter how small); another is their excitement about making a difference. For the families who want to pass down the value of charitable giving to their children, there a...

If you are wondering how it is possible that everyone in your family is offering an excuse for missing the family meeting date, then it is time for some new ideas or approaches to turn these meetings into events that no one wants to miss. How? By planning a purposeful family event that also happens to include the family meeting. In addition, it wil...

The United States is home to tens of thousands of family foundations that have and continue to make positive contributions to society. It’s also not uncommon for the foundations’ boards of directors to play a leading role. Reflecting on the philanthropic journey and the family engagement and ties at the heart of it, here are seven profiles that pre...

If you are a newer family foundation with one or two generations on the board, five generations may seem like a long time away. Yet in family philanthropy, quite a few foundations have been operating and thriving for 50, 75, even 100 years. What’s the secret of these family philanthropies that make it five generations, and across family branches? H...

This handbook is designed to support families connected through wealth understand the importance and value of family meetings. It provides the concepts, tools, and resources with the intention of helping them optimize their family meetings and build towards a more cohesive, resilient, adaptive family.

Poorly structured family meetings that lack a clear purpose and agenda can do more harm than good. Failing to get buy-in from all family members can cause irreparable damage to relationships, despite the best of intentions. There are five key tips for holding a successful family meeting, which is an essential ingredient for managing wealth across g...

As high-net-worth investors discuss plans for charitable giving and investing with their financial advisors, it is absolutely crucial for them to be on the same page in terms of the outcomes desired, both financially and philanthropically. For this reason, advisors and their clients need a set vocabulary of terms going into the first meeting. Only ...

One of the many challenges facing wealthy families in today’s fast-paced society is the need to meaningfully involve family members, including the rising generation, in the management of the family wealth enterprise. One way to engage the family is through philanthropic giving where families can derive great benefit from working together to define ...

Applying a broader parameter—one without a reference to age and with deference to each individual—the next generation philanthropists are people who see themselves as descendants rather than ancestors, who want to use their wealth to be of service to others. With the goal of inspiring next generation philanthropists to dream and consider new possib...

Even if you are not yet ready to share the family's wealth numbers, communicating your intentions to the next generations promotes family harmony and is a best practice for successfully sustaining and transferring family wealth. It may also be time to schedule a family meeting for this purpose. There is no right way to conduct this meeting, bu...

Professional staff is an essential element of an effective family philanthropy effort; however, it can be a difficult construct to navigate. In this webcast by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, learn how to hire and prepare your staff for success in family philanthropy. Download the transcript and presentation deck for your refer...

This Passages guide is part one of a two-part series on divorce and division in family philanthropy, featuring tips for what board and staff members can do to prepare and cope. This first part includes case studies on family foundations that have navigated divorce, questions to consider when developing board policies, and perspectives on ...

This Passages is part two of a two-part series on divorce and division in family philanthropy, featuring tips for what board and staff can do to plan ahead for potential change. The second part includes stories and advice from those who have been through, or advised, families as they divided their philanthropy. Learn more by reading part one, Br...