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Charitable giving used to predominantly exist as a transaction, but it has evolved into a philanthropic relationship rooted in long-term impact goals for all generations—from Boomers to Millennials. Whether you’re a person looking to give or an advisor to one, it’s helpful to understand generational giving motivations and processes.

With the next generation leading the way in philanthropic initiatives for private foundations, there's been a focus on program-related investments and social impact investing. There is also more direct activity where families are creating joint ventures with the grantees to ensure that the issues they care about are front and center. In this ten minute interview, Brian Lucareli and Jason Kohout of Foley & Lardner discuss these recent trends in philanthropy.

Philanthropy is embedded in the fabric of wealth management. Whether it's the Silent Generation or Generation Z, each generation wants to make an impact through charitable giving. With each generation having its own set of beliefs and perspectives, it's important to bridge that gap and ensure that, as wealth passes through generations, the family values and legacies are not left behind.

This first national study explores the topic of family philanthropy through the family office including opportunities and challenges, perspectives and experiences of practitioners and family members with the family office structure. This is a collaborative project of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Threshold Group, and FOX.

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, achieving a sustainable outcome is the second motivation, after the cause itself. And impact investing and collaborative philanthropy are considered as the top trends in achieving sustainable outcome.

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, they enrich lives of millions not only in America but around the world.

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 mission. With more money comes opportunity as well as change.

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 philanthropy quickly muddies as we direct our generosity through a family foundation, donor-advised fund, or other collective effort.

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 are a variety of ways to engage them on the philanthropy journey and strengthen the family bond.