Pass On Philanthropic Traditions

December 5, 2019

By Chelsea Fahr, Director of Donor Engagement

Wondering how you can help foster philanthropic values in the lives of young people you love? Our fundholder services team has a few tips to share:

GET HANDS-ON

This one’s easy: Ask tomorrow’s donors about their charitable interests and encourage them to get involved! Younger donors value the opportunity to dive into the mission of an organization and feel connected to that cause, so we recommend providing meaningful opportunities for them to volunteer and develop their philanthropic muscles. You might also encourage the organizations they are involved with to regularly share how the work of their volunteers is helping to further the mission in order to create dedicated, long-term supporters, too.

SHARE WHY YOU CARE

As important as it is to discover their interests, involving the next generation in the charitable activities you enjoy is also beneficial. We encourage you to have conversations about why philanthropy is important to you and your reasons for supporting certain organizations or causes and attend events or participate in fundraisers together. Consider developing some philanthropic traditions that your family and friends can get excited to participate in each year.

MAKE THEM FELLOW GRANTMAKERS

Many Foundation fundholders are making charitable giving a family affair, involving their children and members of younger generations in their charitable giving. When opening a fund at the Foundation, fundholders have the option to add other advisors to the fund to help direct charitable grant making, which can be the perfect opportunity to engage young people in philanthropic giving. Other fundholders choose to include their children as successor advisors to their fund, which allows their children to manage the charitable fund after the founding donors are no longer able. Whatever you choose, we encourage younger generations to attend Foundation events to learn more about the impact of philanthropy in the capital area.

ENCOURAGE GIVING

Not only can it be meaningful to involve younger donors in your charitable fund at the Foundation, but some donors encourage their children or grandchildren to donate a small amount of money each year to generate positive feelings towards philanthropy and giving back to the community. Remind them that every dollar helps, and make sure they understand the impact of their donations. Upcoming generations tend to be motivated by outcomes and want to see how their involvement in an organization can make the world a better place – we encourage you to help them discover the good of their giving.