Along with the guidance of “Defining Your Philanthropic Purpose,” this Road Map workbook will provide donors and their family members with the ability to chart and gain a better understanding of their family’s hope and plans for collaborative, meaningful, and effective philanthropy. As a Road Map, it can become a framework for shared strategies and decision making while strengthening the family engagement in philanthropy.

Family philanthropy can be transformative for both family members and the communities they serve, sometimes with an impact that lasts generations. However, achieving a positive, enduring impact requires purposeful decision making throughout the lifespan of the family’s philanthropic work. This guide contains worksheets that first help you, as an individual or couple, clarify or update your personal philanthropic purpose and plan.

One of the most important moments in a family’s philanthropy is when those who are currently managing the giving formally welcome members of the next generation—or generations—into the work. While the details of each family’s experience are unique, there are several common insights that can best position leaders to intentionally evolve their family’s philanthropic leadership and family engagement in philanthropy.

While there are good resources to help family foundation boards identify common and effective practices in each area of governance-related questions, this guide by the National Center for Family Philanthropy focuses less on the outcomes and more on ensuring that all of the issues are considered for building the board your foundation deserves.

While every philanthropic journey is unique, there are points at which all families must make decisions. This series of seven short videos offers a comprehensive introduction and refresher to critical concepts to consider at each stage of your family philanthropy—from philanthropic purpose and selecting giving vehicles, to operations, succession, and legacy. Additional resources and insights are provided on each topic to further help you navigate your philanthropic giving and strengthen your family engagement.

In philanthropy, meaningful change is the aim—it’s the purpose and the promise. But in striving for and achieving impact, effectiveness must go beyond healthy funding practices with grantees and the greater communities we serve. It must touch on intra-family dynamics, family philanthropy staff, and speak to the varied stages within the family fiving lifecycle—from purpose to succession and legacy.

Through interviews with dozens of donors, Legacy in Family Philanthropy: A Modern Framework, explores big concepts, such as how the ever-evolving idea of legacy relates to values-driven giving and a commitment to impact. It also explores practical matters, such as how multigenerational families can—and do—navigate conversations about legacy.

Through a survey and series of interviews with members of 20 U.S.-based, multi-generational family philanthropic systems, researchers found that as families evolve, they face common dilemmas regarding their philanthropy—most critically, the choices they make about balancing the individual philanthropic priorities of their members with a collective family philanthropic endeavor. The study’s standout finding was that the creation of a robust family philanthropy “system” was vital to providing outlets for families’ increasingly diverse philanthropic interests.

The explosion of the use of philanthropic vehicles, coupled with massive intergenerational wealth transfer, means that affluent families are giving in more ways, both collectively and individually. Taking a deeper look, researchers found that as families evolve, they face common dilemmas regarding their philanthropy—most critically, the choices they make about balancing the individual philanthropic priorities of their members with a collective family philanthropic endeavor.

For your philanthropy to be meaningful and effective, it is important to define, refine, and periodically revisit your philanthropic purpose: to understand your motivations for giving, the collective values that guide your philanthropy, and establish clarity around the various priorities and approaches your family will utilize in its giving. Through this worksheet and interactive program session, learn how to refine the “why” behind your philanthropy and connect your philanthropic purpose to the broader change you wish to see in the world.

Governance, a system for who will make decisions and how, is the guiding framework for your family philanthropy’s long-term success. There are many governance constructs that support an effective board, and different methods to engage family within each construct. But what are the common elements that contribute to an effective board across all governance constructs? In this webcast, learn the “nuts and bolts” of good governance. For more on this topic, watch the short video on strengthening governance and family dynamics.

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 reference on the topics discussed:

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, Breaking Up: Divorce in Family Philanthropy.

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 the implications of divorce on assets and grantees.

What is the consequence of your philanthropy and who will steward future efforts? Legacy requires creating and implementing plans for donor intent, lifespan, continuity, and succession. Explore how to define and build your legacy and prepare for transitions. This primer is the seventh in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage:

One of the critical considerations you and your family must define is how best to manage the operations of philanthropy. This primer is the sixth in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage:

Effective philanthropy is a process of continual learning. An assessment plan will help you define and measure the progress of your partners, your strategy, and the governance and operations of your social impact vehicles. Find out how to create a robust learning agenda and assessment plan. This primer is the fifth in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage:

How will you use your resources to achieve your philanthropic purpose? Learn how to consider the context in which you are operating, the role you want to play within that context, and what processes you need to implement to achieve those goals within your role. This primer is the fourth in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage:

Governance is the framework that helps you establish decision-making principles, policies, and practices. Understand the process and value of building a strong governance structure. This primer is the third in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage:

The form of your giving must follow the function you intend for your philanthropy. Explore the vehicles and structures available to you and how to determine which best supports your philanthropic goals.This primer is the second in a series of seven about the Family Giving Lifecycle by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, comprising of seven inflection points and orients donors toward effective outcomes at each stage: