The day started normally. Two generations of family members gathered around a table for the annual meeting, intent on making giving decisions for the small family foundation. While only six of us, we represented many roles. Sisters, husbands, daughters, a niece and me, the outsider in this family system, had a lot of work in front of us and a deadline only a few hours away. The deadline marked the ...[Read More]
How Aunts and Uncles Teach the Next Generation About Giving
Tips to Answer Your Question “Are the kids ready?”
This story captured my imagination. I’ll tell you why shortly. First, the story. A certain farmer had become old and ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. When he brought his sons together to speak about it, he told them, “The farm will go to the younger son.” The older son was furious! “What are you talking about?!” he fumed. The father sat patiently, thinking. “Okay,” t ...[Read More]
How to Give Bill Gates Style
Make it fun! That’s how Bill Gates tells us he gives. If your first thought is “oh, sure, with all that money, of course, he can have fun,” stay tuned. Before we jump into what Bill says, let’s start with what it must have been like to be his parents. Do you suppose that Bill and Mary Gates had any inclination their son Bill would start a company and become mega-wealthy after dropping out of Harva ...[Read More]