Effectiveness is a universal aspiration in philanthropy. It is ongoing and iterative, but it begins with making a choice. As our colleagues at the Center for Effective Philanthropy note, effectiveness requires four mutually reinforcing elements: goals, strategies, implementation, and assessment and learning. For family philanthropies, questions of effectiveness go even deeper. How do you build consensus with your family? How do you evolve your beliefs and practices as a family? The complexity of this dynamic has its challenges, yet it presents an enormous opportunity to not only fund the change you seek, but to model it by effectively engaging your families across generations and physical and ideological divides.

The moniker family philanthropy is a self-determination, one defined by the choice to not only consciously commit to effecting meaningful, positive change, but to doing so in partnership with one’s family. This initial decision colors every aspect of your philanthropic efforts moving forward. Not only are you exploring and mutually agreeing upon the approaches and mechanisms necessary to effect that change, you are doing so in a context that is often emotionally charged. Outside of philanthropy, we all have the option to pursue individual interests, distance ourselves from family members who hold different perspectives, and prioritize what we value most. Within family philanthropy, however, the success of the philanthropic effort is predicated on a commitment to the collective. This requires participants in family philanthropy to embrace the multiple dimensions of their identities and understand how they fit into the larger ecosystems of both their family philanthropy and the communities they serve.

We don’t choose our families, but we do choose to practice philanthropy with our family.

To be effective in this context requires navigating personal relationships, current and historic power imbalances, and gaps in knowledge and understanding of issues—all within the larger social and cultural environments family philanthropies operate in. For our field, effectiveness must go beyond healthy funding practices with grantees and the greater communities we serve. It must touch on intra-family dynamics, include family philanthropy staff, and speak to the varied stages within the lifecycle of family philanthropy —from purpose to succession and legacy. Ultimately, effective family philanthropy is rooted in cultural evolution that begins with a stronger and more honest understanding of ourselves: our entrenched beliefs and biases, our connections to the communities we serve, our power and privilege and our dynamics as a family.

Effective family philanthropy is an ever-evolving process that is improved over time and that requires frequent checks and adjustments. It advances meaningful outcomes by embodying four core principles: accountability, equity, reflection and learning, and relationships. We view these principles as holding true for guiding both practices within a family as well as with staff, grantees, and community partners. This harmony is what makes effective family philanthropy possible.

Read the full guide on effective family philanthropy at the National Center for Family Philanthropy.