Involving Family Members in Giving

By giving as a family, you can share your values and concerns for society and provide a common cause for family members.

Here are just a few ideas you might try:

  • Create a monthly giving budget. Over a period of a month, collect the charitable solicitations you receive. Then meet together as a family to decide how to respond to these requests.
  • Create a family foundation. Many donors have found that a family foundation can be a stimulating and effective vehicle for teaching the next generation about philanthropy and its value to the family. You can appoint yourself, as well as other family members or friends, to the governing board of your family foundation.
  • Establish a donor advised fund. You can establish a donor advised fund quickly and easily. You can name the fund, establish a broad purpose for the fund, or designate specific charitable organizations to benefit. Most importantly, you can assign other family members to join you in advising how the income from your fund should be distributed. (Some public charities even enable donors to establish donor advised funds online) 
  • Volunteer together as a family. Setting aside some time each week or each month to do volunteer work as a family can be a rewarding experience for your family and the charities you serve.