Generations of Giving: Chapter 7 – Family Dynamics

Chapter 7 of Generations of Giving: Leadership and Continuity in Family Foundations, the landmark 2006 study by a team of researchers led by Kelin Gersick and co-published by the National Center for Family Philanthropy.  This Chapter features an in-depth look at the role of family dynamics in multi-generational family foundations. The Chapter explores three overarching issues that reflect the lessons learned about family dynamics from the cases in the study: family culture, conflict management and avoidance, and leadership. Following an exploration of those themes, we offer our observations on the bottom line of family collaboration—the impact of family dynamics on the opera- tion of the foundation, and the foundation’s impact on the family.

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