Start with discovery, not destination
One important lesson is that philanthropy should not be treated as a prescribed solution. Families may arrive convinced that a foundation, donor-advised fund, or shared giving project will solve an engagement challenge. Sometimes it helps. Other times, the process reveals that a different conversation needs to happen first.
In our experience, the most productive work begins with curiosity rather than certainty.
Instead of asking only, “How do we get the next generation involved?” we often begin elsewhere: What matters most to each family member? What values feel shared across generations, and where do perspectives differ? What hopes do family members have for the future?
These conversations are rarely linear. They evolve as family members learn more about one another and as different voices enter the process. Most importantly, they allow families to discover answers rather than force a predetermined outcome.
Make space for the rising generation
Families often assume younger generations want either full independence or full continuity. In reality, many are seeking something more nuanced.
Consider one family with a long tradition of philanthropy. The rising generation respected the legacy and cared about its impact, but as they built careers, raised families, and developed identities of their own, they struggled to find time and energy for collective giving. They also worried that differences of opinion could create friction in a family system they valued deeply.
What emerged was not a rejection of the family’s philanthropic tradition, but an evolution of it.
With support and dedicated resources, they created a pilot initiative that allowed them to articulate their own purpose, establish a mission, and develop a giving strategy that reflected how they wanted to engage. The project also created a leadership opportunity for one family member to guide the effort.
The example reminds us that legacy does not always require replication. Sometimes continuity is best achieved by creating space for new expressions of shared values and inviting younger generations to become co-authors of what comes next.
When legacy means letting go
We have also seen families arrive at a very different conclusion.
In another instance, a family foundation had long served as the centerpiece of the family’s philanthropy. Yet as the family evolved, it became clear that the rising generation had different interests, priorities, and ways of thinking about giving. Their lack of enthusiasm was not disengagement; they simply envisioned philanthropy differently.
The family chose to spend down the foundation and establish individual donor-advised funds, giving members greater flexibility to pursue causes that mattered to them while still honoring the values that had shaped the family’s journey. The result was not fragmentation, but greater cohesion, energy, and joy.
This experience led us to an important question: What does legacy actually mean?
For some families, legacy is embodied in a structure that persists. For others, it is reflected in values, relationships, and commitments that take new forms over time. Honoring a founder’s intentions may mean preserving what was built—or adapting thoughtfully as circumstances change.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong.
Transmitting family values to young children through philanthropy
Families also ask how to engage young children in philanthropy. The simplest answer is to model the values they hope to pass on. Children learn by watching how parents and grandparents talk about what they support, why it matters, and how generosity can be expressed through both giving and service. These early experiences do not need to be formal to be meaningful; often, they are most powerful when they are woven naturally into family life.
Practical steps can be simple and age-appropriate. Families might bring children to an age-appropriate volunteer activity, support causes they can relate to, such as animal welfare or helping other children, give them a small budget to direct, or invite older children to participate in a junior grants committee with siblings or cousins. Parents may also use everyday moments—choosing a holiday gift drive, responding to a local need, or discussing why the family supports a particular organization—to help children connect generosity with the family’s values.
The goal is not to make philanthropy overly serious or to ask children to engage beyond their developmental stage. It is to help them notice the world around them, see that resources can be used with care, and understand that generosity is one way a family expresses who it is and what it believes.
There is no single roadmap
Underpinning much of our work is the belief that there is no universal roadmap for intergenerational philanthropy. Some families are just beginning to explore shared giving. Others have established structures and want to engage adult children or grandchildren. Some discover that philanthropy is the right entry point for deeper family conversations; others realize those conversations must come first.
What matters is creating an environment where every generation has a voice and can participate in ways that are appropriate and meaningful. The needs of a teenager will differ from those of a 30-year-old, just as the perspectives of wealth creators may differ from those of future stewards.
The strongest outcomes are rarely defined by the structure a family chooses. We believe they are defined by the quality of the conversations along the way—by the family’s willingness to listen, explore purpose, understand differing perspectives, and create space for authentic participation.
At its best, intergenerational philanthropy becomes more than a way to distribute charitable dollars. It becomes a vehicle for learning, leadership development, relationship-building, and shared discovery—a way for families to explore not only what they want to give, but who they want to be together.
And in our experience, that is often where the most meaningful impact begins.
