How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Generational Differences in Family Philanthropy

Griping about generational differences has almost overtaken baseball as America’s favorite pastime. At least, it can certainly feel that way! Clickbait articles about millennial consumer preferences, boomer hiring strategies and centenarian secrets to good living are a dime a dozen.

At NCFP, we’ve decided to lean in to this new multi-generational reality, and think deeply about how family philanthropy is changing too. And we invite you to join us on this journey of a lifetime. To help get you started, here a few tips on how to embrace multigenerational family philanthropy:

Try to find points of commonality: your family raised you so there’s a good chance your moral fabric is made up of the same threads. Look for places where your interests and values overlap with those of the family mission.

Don’t be afraid to question traditions and authority, but be patient and expect push back. Change happens at the speed of trust, so you should try to minimize unnecessary antagonism while you express your views.

Discuss the expectations your family has for you as a member of the foundation and what expectations you have for them. Be honest with yourself about what you can reasonably take on and what kind of commitment you can sustain.

Read NCFP’s new passages paper, “Opportunity of a Lifetime: Multigenerational Family Philanthropy“!