The Community Foundation recently welcomed Sharna Goldseker, Executive Director of 21/64, to Kansas City for a series of events focused on multigenerational philanthropy.
21/64 is an organization dedicated to serving philanthropic and family enterprises across the country. Senior Philanthropic Advisors Whitney Hosty and Gwen Wurst are 21/64 Certified Advisors and lead our work with families, helping engage all generations in giving.
We are facing the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, as younger generations will inherit $59 trillion over the next 40 to 50 years. It’s important that families share their charitable legacies so they can prepare their next generations to carry on their values and priorities.
“Legacy is like a ladder. Those who have come before built the rungs, and the next generations will stand on those rungs to build upon the legacy,” said Sharna. “We are who we are because we stand on the shoulders of those before us.”
Sharna’s research shows that individuals are more resilient, confident and have higher self-esteem when they have a solid understanding of the trials, tribulations and successes that their family members have faced. Children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren are eager to learn about their family’s history.
There are many tools and guides to help your family get started in sharing and recording your family history. Begin by using the 20 questions developed by Drs. Robyn Fivush and Marshall Duke of the Emory University psychology department. These yes-or-no questions measure an individual’s knowledge of their family history and can easily prompt a deeper conversation about the past and how family history is shared from one generation to the next.
Start a conversation about philanthropy by downloading and saving our Let’s Talk Giving Conversation Cards. Print them out or save them to your phone to have a conversation about giving with your family. Or, send us an email at info@growyourgiving.org and we can send you and your family a set of our cards.
Expose younger children to philanthropy by helping them understand the impact of sharing their time, treasure and talent. We offer donor education programs and volunteer opportunities for the entire family. Learn more about our upcoming events.
If you want to know more about how to approach giving as a family, listen to our recent episode of the Grow Your Giving podcast to hear Sharna speak about involving the entire family in philanthropy.
Our team of philanthropic experts can provide tools and ideas to engage all generations in charitable giving. Contact us to discuss how we can serve you.
Authored by: Ashley Hawkins, Content Specialist