A small holiday experiment

 

Have you been thinking about setting up a donor advised fund here at the Community Foundation of Grundy County?  Aside from the technical aspects, have you wondered whether you and your family would enjoy being philanthropists?

 

If so, may we use this holiday season to suggest a small experiment:

 

When you are together with your family on Thanksgiving, give each child (or adult) $100 with the instructions that they are to give it away to charity.  You get to choose who participates – maybe you’ll want to give away $100, too!

 

Then when you’re all together for Christmas, they are to share with the family a) which charity (or charities) they selected and b) why.

 

It’s as simple as that.  No rules, no conditions – just give it away and report back.

 

One of our board members did this with the kids when they were college-age and he was pleasantly surprised and enlightened by their choices.

 

I think you’ll be surprised at the passion and intensity of the kids’ choices as well as the warm feelings you’ll all experience.

 

If you like, you can continue the experiment, maybe even up the ante.  What if each family member had $1,000 to give away?  What impact would that have on their favorite charities?

 

Or you can invite the Community Foundation of Grundy County to meet with you and your family to learn how our services can best serve your family to grow this one small experiment into a lifetime of strategic philanthropy.  A family donor advised fund is an excellent way to leave a legacy where your children and grandchildren carry on the family traditions of impactful charitable giving long after you’ve passed.

 

Wouldn’t it be great to watch the excitement grow as the family’s philanthropy meeting date approaches?  Who in your family will be the first to give their money away and who will drag their feet until the last minute?  Who will have a dozen charities in mind and who won’t be able to think of a single one?

 

The answers don’t matter.  The important part is having the conversation with your family about charity and philanthropy.  Can this become a tradition that you all do together?

 

This is the season of excitement and anticipation – we wish you all every opportunity to enjoy it!