Five years ago, Sy Schwartz announced to his three grown children in their fifties that he wanted them to start giving money away. He would supply the family foundation with $175,000 for them to give collectively. If they did a good job and got along well, the money would increase the next year. Schwartz was... Read More
There can be tremendous benefits to a family foundation that invites one or more nonfamily members to its board. Nonfamily members can sometimes help the family make more objective grantmaking decisions. Family members also tend to behave differently in the presence of nonfamily members, helping to shift family dynamics that may be getting in the... Read More
Youth philanthropy describes diverse youth activities. Some associate youth philanthropy with young people making grants as members of junior boards to family foundations or advisors to community foundations. Others use the term to describe service learning in school or volunteering as part of a youth or religious organization. Fundraising for the benefit of another also... Read More
Role for our purposes is not your position as president or committee chair; rather, it is how you choose to behave to match the needs of a situation. Everyone holds multiple roles, adopting them almost without thinking. For example, parents play an impressive list of roles in situations with their children: confidante, disciplinarian, advocate, chauffeur.... Read More
As one 20-something involved in her family’s philanthropy shared: [It] has given me the perspective that doing good can really be a lifestyle and not just a one- or two-time event. I think that, once you catch the bug of doing good for the world, it doesn’t just stop with philanthropy. It molds the way... Read More
People who become leaders aren’t satisfied with the current state of things. They feel a sense of urgency—a desire and impatience for change. They ask endless questions, identify important gaps, and use their positions and perspective to become experts. Along the way, they engage people in diverse walks of life and listen carefully to what... Read More