Wealth is not measured only in financial assets, and wealth management should not be guided simply by numbers. Families have a deep wealth in their values and in the stories they tell that, in our experience of working with donors, can be wielded as a unique and valuable strategic resource.

Imagine you own a family business that weathered 2020, and you are considering making a bequest in your estate to organizations that have proven crucial to your community. Or perhaps you want to respond to rising community needs and want to launch a foundation or fund to address a specific goal. Conversations with family and friends yield plenty of suggestions, but many donors become stymied in determining what path will be both engaging and the best use of available resources.

Another equally challenging scenario confronts those who inherit the reins of a philanthropic entity. Suddenly siblings and cousins all want a say in the family legacy, and there isn’t a clear process for finding common ground or a shared purpose, especially when the debates get personal and touch on myriad beliefs of what best reflects the prior generation’s wishes.

What is needed, in either situation, is a clear, concise summary of the motivations, hopes, vision, and values that inspired the start of what will be or has become an entire family’s philanthropic journey – an expression of donor intent. Having helped many clients get to the heart of purposeful philanthropy, we’ve captured an adaptable and rewarding process we use in a newly republished resource: Across Generations: A Five-Step Guide for Creating an Expression of Donor Intent. If you are unfamiliar with this kind of document and what one might achieve for you and your family, I’d like to offer a quick summary of what an expression of donor intent delivers.

Read the full article about donor intent by Leslie Pine at The Philanthropic Initiative.