Executive Summary—Philanthropy in Complex, Multi-Generational Families: Balancing Individual Preference with Collective Purpose

Researchers from Lansberg Gersick Advisors consider how the family foundation’s design and operation is informed by—and informs—the family’s philanthropic activities that take place outside of it. The purpose of this study is to help families understand how they can design their family philanthropy to best meet their goals.   

The study’s standout finding was that the creation of a robust family philanthropy “system” was vital to providing outlets for families’ increasingly diverse philanthropic interests. The families that most successfully perpetuated a collective family foundation over generations established different vehicles for different purposes: they had firm boundaries around collaborative and individual “pots.”  This and other findings are highlighted in the executive summary. 

Read the full report here.