Bridging the Generational Divide in Family Philanthropy

The “kids” — Gen X and Y — want to do it differently. Their elders want to insure continuity. Are these desires mutually exclusive?

According to the Next Gen Donors: Respecting Legacy, Revolutionizing Philanthropy report sponsored by the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and 21/64, “. . parents and grandparents have been more influential in teaching the why of philanthropy more than the how, transferring values more than strategy.” The three-hundred and ten 21–40 year-old respondents to the Next Gen Donors research largely attribute their values and commitment to philanthropy to their families. At the same time, they clearly and consciously want to evolve, innovate and “seek to meet that commitment in somewhat different, maybe even revolutionary ways in the future.”

New and differing perspectives affect the way Next Geners want to both target and play out their values and philanthropy.

Some survey respondents said that parents are upset that they, their children, have distanced themselves from their roots when from the offspring’s perspective they just have “a different way of thinking about those roots.” Other respondents view a lack of formal involvement in family philanthropic strategy as a lost opportunity to learn the skills and challenges of being better donors, as well as to share giving experiences.

Creatively involving the next generation in the process of crafting a family philanthropic agenda offers an extraordinary context and opportunity to sustain the legacy of giving, strengthen intergenerational communication and relationships, and transmit family history.

These conversations lay the groundwork for the important work of family giving by making space for a shared understanding of the motivations and dreams of the family’s founders and exploring the experience and aspirations of current generations.

Family dynamics are complicated. We live in a fast-paced society where work, school and social relationships frequently seem to displace time and attention that in the past more organically nurtured family ties, instilling values and teaching skills as well as life lessons. This pace is compounded by technology, which enables these relationships and related activity to continue nonstop.

Creating a framework for family philanthropy is both serious business and an opportunity to address these challenges. Engaging all generations deeply in developing a mission and a value-driven vision for giving lays the foundation for continuity and sustainability of family philanthropy and values. Offering even the family’s younger members a place at the table confers both respect and a sense of responsibility. Researching fields of interest, substantive content and learning the range of processes and the skills that are required to make sound philanthropic decisions, including the limits and possibilities of traditional and new technologies and models, provides valuable lessons and opportunities for intergenerational discussion along the age continuum.

Further, it provides a context for the family to communicate about important issues and concerns that are not always easy to discuss and so frequently are not discussed at all. Such conversations enable all family members to gain insight into the interests and perspectives of others, to learn what they care about most, and an opportunity to reflect on and respect commonalities and differences.

While not easy to initiate, this foundational work enriches the family, helps focus philanthropic fields of interest and provides guidance in strategically structuring the framework and processes for giving and decision-making, and defining roles and responsibilities for the family’s founding and subsequent generations of donors.

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Laying the groundwork — tips for initial intergenerational conversations:

• Convene the conversations with a clearly stated goal: to create a framework for family philanthropy.
• Explain why philanthropy is important to you.
• Provide opportunity for each family member to describe the values that they hold most dear and the issues they are most concerned about.
• Acknowledge that the different experiences of different generations affect the way that they view and operate in the world.
• Listen carefully.
• Discuss commonalities and differences with respect. Do not artificially gloss over differences.
• Affirm the positives you see in one another.

Be sure to create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere for your conversations!