Search Results

Philanthropists from Europe, the United States, Asia, and the Middle East are approaching philanthropy in an innovative way and actively promote their causes. Interviews illustrate how they are trying to make a lasting change in terms of impact on the ground as well as the longevity of their charitable organizations. For many philanthropists, achie...

A volunteer position with a nonprofit organization can be an incredibly rewarding experience—both for the volunteer and for the organization. But the path to key leadership roles with such organizations can be tricky to navigate. While the process inevitably will vary from organization to organization, there are a few things that can help with maki...

The passionate generosity of countless American families has inspired extraordinary gifts. What is most remarkable is the very phenomenon of American family philanthropy itself. Indeed, many of these families are known more by their philanthropy than by the business successes that made their largesse possible. Through their philanthropic missions, ...

An influx of assets is a powerful transition point in philanthropy. With rising resources comes the budding potential to do more of what you’re already doing—or, perhaps, trying something new. Either way, additional resources will often provide your foundation with new options for making a difference according to your foundation’s...

Do you have younger family members who are interested in learning more about whether being a family foundation trustee is right for them? Are you looking for a quick and fun way to introduce them to concept of stewardship and the demands and possible challenges of being a foundation board member? Then this 5-minute video is right for you.

Philanthropy is often described as society’s “risk capital.” Our generosity can support causes and ideas that business and government agencies cannot or will not. We can use our resources to inspire new ideas, challenge existing thinking, or continue supporting an organization when others won’t. However, the idea of risk in ...

Just as an individual goes through life cycles, so does a charity. From the start-up phase to adopting a strategic vision to looking at ways to grow the charity, there are many steps to consider at each important phase of the charity’s lifetime. By bringing discipline and focus to your family philanthropy and going beyond just writing checks,...

Recently the IRS released proposed regulations under Chapter 14 of the Internal Revenue Code that would severely limit—if not eliminate—the application of valuation discounts, including lack of marketability and minority discounts, to interests in closely held family entities for gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax purpos...

For many individuals and families of wealth, there comes a time when they decide to engage in philanthropy in a larger, perhaps more strategic manner. This often occurs as their relationship with wealth matures, and they realize they have an opportunity (or perhaps feel an obligation) to go beyond writing checks to worthy organizations and move tow...

Families pursue impact investing for a variety of reasons, including as a way to engage younger family members in the broader philanthropic and investment activities of a family to foster continuity in the stewardship of assets across generations. Before incorporating impact investments into their portfolios, families should define the overall cont...

Travis Roy’s story is well known—in 1995, the rising college hockey star suffered an on-ice injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down after only 11 seconds of his first Boston University game. That tragic accident ended Travis’ hockey career, but it marked the beginning of his decades-long commitment to helping others thro...

The topic of wealth transfer to the next generation has been well documented. Accenture estimated that $30 trillion of financial and nonfinancial assets are ready to shift from baby boomers to their children in North America alone. At the same time, there is a large and growing appetite for using wealth to solve social challenges and help those in ...

Donors often ask how they can maximize their giving dollars when seeking to fulfill their charitable giving missions. A tax effective way is to donate appreciated securities to a donor advised fund, rather than selling the securities and donating the cash proceeds. So how does it work?

Strategic philanthropy is similar to intentional asset allocation in that it requires as much of the giver’s intellect as it does the bank account. A careful and disciplined approach to philanthropic giving combines purpose, practicality, and passion. In planning for charitable giving, families can review their choices with a planning matrix ...

We often think of Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday as ushering in the year-end charitable giving season. Year end is not only a time for gratitude, as families gather for the holidays, but also a time to start organizing financially for the close of the calendar year. But year-end giving does not need to be short-term giving. So even as you strive t...