What does it actually look like to bring the next generation into your foundation’s work? Most family foundations have good intentions here, welcoming children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or younger staff and board members into the mission, but intentions rarely translate into a clear plan. If that gap has led your foundation to treat next-gen engagement as a tomorrow problem, you may be more behind than you think.
According to our 2026 Foundation Operations and Management Report, 71% of family foundations report actively engaging the next generation of family members in their work. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- 60% take on formal positions like board chair
- 25% hold other board leadership roles (treasurer, secretary, committee chair)
- 24% serve as advisory or junior board members
For the foundations still working out where to begin, the answer is simpler than it might seem. The most effective strategies are hands-on and relationship-driven, not complicated or expensive:
- Site visits with grantees (56%)
- Discretionary grantmaking (53%)
- Presenting proposals to the board (32%)
- Board retreats (29%)
The Gap Isn’t Interest. It’s Access.
A lot of next-gen engagement conversations start from a flawed premise: that younger generations are inherently other; different, disengaged, hard to reach. Exponent members and Next Gen Fellows Kerry McHugh and Katherine Palms have pushed back on this directly, noting that the data doesn’t support the idea that younger family members care less or contribute less than their elders. The mismatch isn’t in whether they want to be involved; it’s in whether foundations have built a real path for them to do it.
Instead of asking how to make the next gen participate, try asking:
- What can they contribute?
- What can they learn?
- What might spark their interest in philanthropy?
Sapphira Goradia, executive director of the Goradia Foundation, has described how going on site visits alongside her father helped her understand what he looks for from a business perspective, and how the two of them complement each other in the work. That’s the two-way partnership family philanthropy experts recommend: next-gen engagement works best when both generations learn from each other, not when older members simply hand down wisdom.
Get Clear Before You Plan
Before you build a strategy, spend some time answering a few honest questions:
- Why do you want to engage the next generation?
- How does your family or foundation define “next generation”?
- Who are the potential participants?
- What obstacles might stand in their way?
- How would you describe your ability to communicate with them?
Once you have those answers, turn the questions outward. Rather than handing the next generation a predetermined role, ask what they’re ready for. Sharna Goldseker of the Goldseker Foundation has found that families who ask, rather than dictate, tend to get the best guidance of all. Some will want full board participation. Others will want something smaller and time-bound. Some won’t be ready yet, and that’s fine. Check back in a year or two and keep the door open.
Help the Next Generation Lead, Not Just Participate
If your foundation has emerging leaders, staff, trustees, donors, or family members, ready to step into more influence, the Next Gen Fellows Program can help get them there. This six-month, cohort-based experience blends an in-person intensive at the Annual Conference with virtual peer coaching and learning, all built for the realities of lean and family foundations.
Registration closes August 21, 2026 — learn more here.