Ken Burns and Cokie Roberts said it best at the NCFP opening plenary – “It makes it more meaningful to carry on the legacy of the family when you know those family stories.” Our portion of the session focused on using video to capture stories for future generations. Here are some ideas on why you should consider a foundation legacy video:

1. A foundation’s video story doesn’t have to tell the whole story - You family’s story or the story of your foundation’s history can feel overwhelming, especially when the foundation has had a rich and long life. But sharing these stories, particularly on video, does not have to include every detail.

2. Focus on what makes a good story - The elements of a good story have always included conflict, resolution, and strong characters we care about.

3. It starts with a plan - Before you press the camera’s record button, you want to spend a good deal of time in the first phase of video production – the pre-production phase.

4. The gift of filming interviews goes both ways - We inherently understand that having a recorded video interview of an elder person in your family is a gift to the future generations of the family who may never get to meet them or hear their stories in person.

5. There’s something special about a shared experience - Today’s younger generations are often interacting with media – posting, commenting and liking various “social” channels – but often doing this in a very singular way.

6. Don’t wait - We know that we need to capture these legacy stories before it’s too late and the older generations pass away.

Read the full article on foundation legacy videos by Debbie Brodsky at the National Center for Family Philanthropy.