While sitting at a stoplight, I answered a phone call expecting one voice but hearing another. The voice I expected was the founder of a family foundation that I had worked with for several years. We had been preparing for a meeting two weeks away. The voice I heard delivered sad news. On the second hole at the golf course with one of his best friends, David (names have been changed to prote ...[Read More]
How to Prepare for Life’s Untimely Events
How Family Giving Adds Joy to the Holidays
Will the next generation give as much as their grandparents and parents? And which generation is “the next generation”? Well, of course, the answer is relative. Every generation wonders about the one that follows. Baby Boomers have been wondering about Generation X, and they are now both wondering about the Millennials. Holidays are the perfect time to learn how your children and grandchildren an ...[Read More]
Pondering Philanthropy Questions from a “Little Old Lady”
Sometimes when I sit down to write the YP Journal, a philanthropy issue is on my mind. But today there was no such burning issue, so in the spirit of hunting for inspiration, I started looking back at old articles and stumbled across one calling my name. It was titled “A Plain Answer Will Do.” My mother, who passed away two years ago, almost to the day I am writing this, is the little old lady in ...[Read More]
Tips for All-Important Family Conversations
A friend shared that he planned to have a conversation very soon with his wife about some of the finer details of their financial situation. He described it as getting a meeting on their calendar. The need for such an appointment came just weeks after several unexpected and sudden family losses. The reminder to keep family members updated about financial information comes to us at the worst times. ...[Read More]