Donor Legacy and Intent
A Donor Legacy Statement provides an opportunity to communicate to those who will work with you — and those who may provide leadership in the future having never met you.
Here you will find perspectives and tips for describing and sharing donor legacy and intent. For a wide variety of additional sample statements and other resources, search NCFP’s Family Philanthropy Online Knowledge Center.
READ: Donor Legacy Statements, Values Statements, and Ethical Wills
Donor legacy statements, values statements and ethical wills have joined bylaws and mission statements as important documents for describing a family’s philanthropic activities and hopes.
READ: A Family Establishes a Statement of Legacy
This case study from Living the Legacy describes the process the family engaged in to develop a statement of shared family legacy.
READ: Passion: Discovering Meaning in Your Philanthropy
This primer from The Philanthropic Initiative is intended to help families and donors to reflect upon your strongest and deepest feelings about what you want to accomplish with your giving, and how this connects to your satisfaction as a philanthropist. Stories and examples are included to illustrate how individuals have identified their own philanthropic passions.
WATCH: What I wish my parents had told me: An interview with Susan Packard Orr (webinar)
Susan Packard Orr shares the seven keys things she wishes her parents would have told her about their philanthropic work in hopes that other families may see the value in discussing these issues while the founders are still present. (Friends and Subscribers only)
WATCH: Seeding Family Tradition (webinar)
Donor legacy statements and ethical wills have joined bylaws, values statements and mission statements as important documents for describing a family’s philanthropic activities and dreams. (Friends and Subscribers only)
ACTIVITY: Picture Your Legacy: A 2164 Resource
Utilize a set of image cards to guide your family towards articulating their vision of what they hope to achieve through giving. This is a fun and interactive activity created by 21/64 that can be done with the whole family.
ACTIVITY: Ask Your Grandchildren to Interview You
Completing the Activity: Have your grandchildren (or great-grandchildren!) or the family’s resident historian, interview you about your life and interests. Check out the Legacy Project for a complete list of activities and guides and for questions and other tools for building closer relationships between generations in your family.
ACTIVITY: The Grandparent Legacy Project
Read and hear stories of 15 individuals and couples who describe how they conveyed their philanthropic legacies. Then, utilize the corresponding workbook to conduct an interview of your own with your family.
ADAPT: Preparing for a Board Retreat on Donor Legacy
Get started in the process of establishing your donor legacy statement through conversations with your board of directors. This guide offers suggestions for planning a successful retreat and resources to tap, compiled by NCFP staff.
READ: The Family Stories That Bind Us
Read this New York Times article to gain some insight on the merits of creating a family tree and teaching your children the history of their family.
READ: Storytelling and Social Change: A Strategy Guide for Grantmakers
This guide is not so much about how to tell a good story, but about how to use “narrative strategies”— strategies that use storytelling to advance social change.
WATCH: Family History Made Simple
Watch this video as an introduction to creating family trees and researching family history.
ACTIVITY: Interview Your Grandparents
Interview your grandparents (or great-grandparents!) or the family’s resident historian. Check out the Legacy Project for a complete list of activities and guides and for questions and other tools for building closer relationships between generations in your family.
ACTIVITY: Create a Family Tree
Create your own family tree using websites such as Family Echo and Geni, or have your family help you draw one.