For donors

Family philanthropy

This Family Giving series, developed by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, can help family members as they plan for meaningful, effective philanthropy together. By the end of the series, families can feel confident knowing they have documented their charitable giving plans for a long-lasting philanthropic legacy.

Each stage has:

  1. an overview video on the topic
  2. a guidebook with explanations and worksheets to help you apply the concepts
  3. a roadmap to create with your family to document decisions and plan your course of action

You'll also find related guides and resources to help you and your family dive deeper into the topics that align best with your philanthropic goals.

Defining your philanthropic purpose

For your philanthropy to be meaningful and effective, it is critical to understand why you want to give. Here, you will find resources to help you and your family explore the motivations, values or principles, priorities, and giving styles that make up your collective philanthropic purpose.

Choosing your philanthropic vehicles

Selecting philanthropic vehicles is an important choice when considering your giving goals. Here are guidance and activities to help identify the vehicles that suit your family's philanthropy.

In the garden. Nice pleasant strong man holding a spade and digging in the garden while planting a tree

Choosing your social impact strategies

Your impact can be small or big, help a few or many, or be tangible or hard to measure. These resources can provide a road map for intentionally using your resources to achieve social impact. 

Small toddler spending time with her grandmother outside on a meadow in autumn.

Planning for legacy and succession

Legacy and succession are topics that ask you to envision a future in which you won’t be actively managing your social impact strategy or philanthropic vehicle. 

Consultant giving advices to the family at home

Strengthening governance and family dynamics

A governance framework can bring intentionality and effectiveness for families exploring philanthropy.

Man looking down on his notepad

Charitable estate planning checklist

View our 5-step checklist for creating a charitable estate plan.

baby with family

Charitable giving with family

Passing values onto younger generations can help extend a donor's legacy.

family walking in a field

Giving across generations

The transfer of wealth to the next generation will be one of the largest in history.

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