and Family Philanthropy
Inspired
Your Guide to Personal
Inspired!
Created by The Winnipeg Foundation
“All of us, if we are reasonably comfortable, healthy
and safe, owe immense debts to the past. There is
no way, of course, to repay the past. We can only
pay those debts by making gifts to the future.”
– Jane Jacobs, Canadian author, futurist and urban planning icon
Many of the characteristics that make our city and province an extraordinary
place to live, work and play are a result of the efforts of generations of everyday
philanthropists. The Winnipeg Foundation encourages and supports this spirit
of caring and generosity for the benefit of future generations in pursuit of its
vision of “a Winnipeg where community life flourishes.”
“When you give time or money to a cause, does it speak directly to something
you really care about? Do you feel confident that your money or time will
make a difference, help improve the world? Do you feel sure it is used wisely?”
- Inspired Philanthropy, Tracy Gary & Melissa Kohner
How do YOU want to make a difference?
There is a vast array of worthwhile causes, and many ways to support the ones
that are important to you. More and more families are planning philanthropy
together as an expression of shared values, to teach children about social
responsibility or to continue or establish a family legacy.
As your centre for community philanthropy, The Winnipeg Foundation, through
its Family Philanthropy Program, offers an educational and consulting service,
assisting people from all walks of life as they consider their charitable agenda.
The tools, resources and support are offered to everyone in our community; there
is no requirement or expectation that participants support The Winnipeg Foundation.
Inspired
The Remarkable Legacy of
Everyday Philanthropists
This complimentary guide will help you create a flexible philanthropic plan
tailored to your own priorities and preferences. Using it to clarify the things that
matter most to you, it can help you develop a meaningful and rewarding
charitable giving plan that reflects your experiences, traditions, values and
hopes. If family members are participating, we recommend each person has a
copy of this guide. Please contact The Winnipeg Foundation for additional copies.
Inspiration is the first step to action.
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We hope you are inspired
to make a difference!
Things to consider as you develop a
personal or family giving plan
Your motivation for establishing a family giving strategy may include:
• to pass on philanthropic values and spirit to the next generation,
• to involve your children and grandchildren in your philanthropy,
• to enable your children and grandchildren to develop their giving values and
discover philanthropy,
• to establish or continue a personal or family legacy,
• to find common ground for working together,
• to benefit the community in a specific way and encourage the next generation
to continue with this focus, and,
• to create a common bond for the family.
Inspired
Philanthropy and you…
If you have given time and money in the past, what has that experience been and what have you learned
from it? Who or what inspired you? Think about your first donation, your most meaningful gift, and
your largest gift. What motivates you to give? How do you feel when you give?
What inspires you?
If you don’t already have an idea of how you would like your gift to make a difference in the community,
you may find it helpful to start by asking yourself the following questions to clarify your thoughts.
Are you currently involved with any charitable organizations as a donor, volunteer or member?
What strengths do you see in your community that you think should receive further support?
What challenges in our community do you think need attention?
Do you have a vision you would like to help achieve for our community?
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Focus vs. Breadth
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Whether or not you have a focus depends on your
philosophy towards giving and what you wish to
achieve. Some families want to spread their giving
widely, to touch as many needs as possible. Some
families like to give to all organizations that ask
and never want to say ‘no’. Some families choose
to make a large impact in a small area of need.
Some families put all their support behind the
cause they feel most deeply about.
Sometimes people select an area of interest or
priority before making gifts. Sometimes after years
of giving, they notice a pattern, discovering
themes that prompt them to formalize priority
areas. Likewise, a priority may change; it can
narrow and broaden as a person’s interests
change. For example, joining an organization or
receiving its services can immediately impact
giving patterns. A focus can help a family take
action, as opportunities to make a difference can
be overwhelming.
Do you wish to have a particular focus for your
giving? Or, are you more interested in supporting
a wide range of charities?
You may wish to have a broad area of interest.
Examples are:
• community services, health and well-being,
• education,
• arts and culture,
• environment, or,
• faith-based programs.
You may wish to have a more focused field of
interest. Examples are:
• children’s health, disadvantaged youth,
family violence,
• music, theatre or museums,
• student support (bursaries or scholarships),
• wilderness preservation, or,
• animal welfare.
You may wish to have an even more detailed
and specific intent. Examples are:
• immigrant settlement programs,
• mental health or health promotion programs,
• a particular high school, university or
college program,
• a particular local or regional environmental
program, or,
• agencies or programs of personal interest.
List organizations you have supported in the last 2-3 years and note why:
Today, my focus is:
Inspired
Engaging family members across generations
The age of your children is a critical factor. Keep in mind that, as your children mature, their interest and
involvement in philanthropy and your family’s giving plan may change. You may wish to take advantage
of one of the three ways the Foundation offers support through the Family Philanthropy Program.
Or, you can create your own process using resources available in the Family Philanthropy Resource Centre.
Scenario 1: Engaging children ages 6-13
Consider helping younger family members to learn about
and participate in your philanthropic activities. The
Foundation offers one-hour group activities for children
that help them learn about their community, who might
need help, and why.
Scenario 2: Engaging teenagers or young adults
Think of ways to involve young people in your family in
your philanthropic activities. The Foundation offers
interactive seminars on various topics that raise awareness
of trends and issues, and provide hands-on practice to
prepare this age group to participate more fully in family
discussions. Participants have opportunities to explore the
community and their interests through site visits, or as
volunteers, enabling them to bring the knowledge they
gain to family discussions.
Scenario 3: Engaging adult children and grandchildren
The complexities of this arrangement depend on the ages
and stages of family members. Meaningful involvement
of adult children may rest on finding a balance of
financial investment, leadership and decision-making so
each person’s voice is respected. The Foundation’s
Director of Family Philanthropy is available to facilitate
such family discussions.
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Recognition
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How you feel about public recognition is a personal matter. We are all motivated by different factors.
Over time, or in different giving situations, donors may find they change how they think about
recognition. Children often have different recognition needs and considerations than adults. As you
make your giving or granting decisions, you might consider the kind of profile you want to have
(if any) with the charities you support. As a family, you may determine on your preferences as you
begin; you may change them at any time in the future. Here are a few motivations at either end of
the recognition continuum.
Some people prefer to remain anonymous for a
variety of reasons, for example:
• to cast the spotlight on the community rather
than themselves,
• to simplify life and practice humility, or,
• to avoid standing out as different from their peers.
My perspective about recognition:
My perspective on anonymity:
My current thoughts on the matter:
Others may wish to be more open about their
giving, for example:
• to celebrate their family name in the community,
• to demonstrate commitment, or leverage
other funds, or,
• to challenge or inspire others, set an example,
or lead the way.
The most common giving practice is to make direct gifts to a charity over the course of a year.
Manitobans are very generous. According to Statistics Canada, more people in this province report
charitable gifts in their income tax returns than anywhere else in the country. Among Canadians,
Manitobans donate the highest percentage of their income to charity.
Some people include building a family endowment fund in their philanthropic plan. This is like having
your own family foundation except that your family fund is pooled with hundreds of others for better
investment returns and more efficient administration. Donations to a family endowment fund
accumulate over time and, even though the income is distributed every year as grants, your gifts
establish a permanent legacy in your family name.
Has your family ever discussed the creation of a family fund? What questions come to mind when you
think about this possibility?
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Endowment building as part of your plan
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Discovering Causes to Support
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If this is your personal giving plan: If you are the only person making these decisions, the process can be as
simple as you wish. The Winnipeg Foundation can bring to your attention proposals from the
community in your area(s) of interest. As a granting organization with more than 87 years experience,
the Foundation has a wealth of knowledge about opportunities and needs across our community.
If other family members are participating: How would you like to bring project ideas to the table for
consideration? As a starting point, have each person list charities they have supported in the past 2-3
years and identify their areas of interest as you have done above. Sharing this basic information may
reveal both common interests and, perhaps, some surprises.
Other options you may consider:
• Each member can choose projects they want the family to consider. This often requires research by
individual family members and making a presentation to the rest of the group to promote their causes.
This can be a great way for your family to learn more about the community.
• The Winnipeg Foundation can identify proposals matching your family’s areas of interest.
• The Winnipeg Foundation can also arrange site visits for you and your family to get more acquainted
with charities you care about.
The cause(s) I would like to support (or wish my family to consider) are:
Who is in charge? How will decisions be made?
It is important to establish your decision-making
ground rules. Will the chair of the family group
change or rotate over time? Are all votes equal?
Are the votes of younger family members given
more or less weight? Does anyone have veto
power? Clarifying the decision-making process in
advance is most helpful to avoid conflict and align
expectations with reality. Remember, participation
in decision-making encourages engagement!
You may have preliminary thoughts about what
decision-making model best suits your family.
Some options are:
1) majority vote,
2) consensus (all must agree),
3) division of the granting ‘pot’ with each person
responsible to choose a project for their portion, or,
4) a combination (tip: using 2 and 3 has proven to
be a satisfying experience for many families).
You can change your decision-making model over
time as all members of the family gain more
experience in giving.
The decision-making model I would prefer for our family is:
Frequency and timing:
• How often does your family wish to make grant recommendation decisions? It is easy to picture a
family saving its most important decisions for one point in the year — for example: Thanksgiving.
The amount of money you want to give collectively or individually, or the geographic distance
between family members, are factors that could influence your schedule.
Organization of discussion:
• Should there be an agenda of topics to be discussed or is a more informal process best suited to your
family situation? For example, in the case of a family fund at The Winnipeg Foundation, staff work
with family members to set an agenda and take minutes to document the grant decisions.
• Is it best for your family to meet in person? Where?
Communicating:
• How do you wish to communicate between meetings about your grant-making activities? If members
of a family live in different cities, electronic communication may work best. If several generations are
involved, some may be less comfortable with electronic communication.
• Who will keep records of family meetings and decisions? How will this information be shared and
how often?
• What are your expectations of beneficiary organizations as to acknowledgement of your financial
support and reports about its impact?
My thoughts on meeting frequency:
My thoughts on organization of discussion:
My thoughts on communicating:
My thoughts on acknowledgement and reporting:
Inspired
Giving or Granting
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Inspiration is the first step to action.
Inspire
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“To give away money is an easy matter and
in any man’s power. But to decide to
whom to give it, and how large, and when,
and for what purpose and how, is neither
in every man’s power nor an easy matter.”
- Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), Greek philosopher
Our Director of Family Philanthropy offers other tools,
resources and services. A few of these are:
• A Resource Centre, including a library collection and other materials,
• Thinking About Possibilities — an informal conversation over coffee,
• Creating Your Plan — two family discussions,
• The Site Visit — we arrange a visit to your favourite charity,
• You and Your Advisor — a consultation aimed at clarifying goals, and,
• The Winnipeg Foundation 101 — a private chance to ask your questions.
We are here to help.
Please contact:
Leslie Weir, B.A., M.A., ACFRE
Director of Family Philanthropy
The Winnipeg Foundation
204.944.9474 ext 246
Or email: [email protected]
Inquiries and conversations are in confidence and without obligation.
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Notes
Inspired
Notes
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Inspired
Connecting people who care with causes that matter
The Family Philanthropy Program offers everyday
philanthropists donor-centred information that
promotes philanthropy for the entire community.
The program encourages all individuals and
families to think about philanthropy and
thoughtfully support, as they are able, causes they
care most about. The program helps individuals
and families develop customized philanthropic
plans to benefit any organization or cause.
Philanthropy draws on the passions and concerns
of each individual or family, and provides an
opportunity for anyone to learn, grow and have a
real impact on their community.
The popularity of donor-advised funds is an
indication that many families are planning their
philanthropy together as: an expression of shared
values, a way of teaching children about social
responsibility, or a way to continue or establish a
family legacy. There are many ways for
individuals and families to give to causes that are
important to them, including: establishing a
private foundation, or creating a fund at a
registered charity, a commercial giving
foundation, or at a community foundation.
The Winnipeg Foundation offers several types of
funds. These may be a helpful reference as you
(or your family) consider your options. If you are
considering other service providers, ask about the
choices they offer.
• Community Building Fund provides donors
with the most flexibility for their contributions.
• Field of Interest Funds are established by
donors who wish to support one or more
specific causes.
• Donor Advised Funds enable donors to be
actively involved in recommending recipient
charitable organizations.
• Designated Funds allow donors to support
one or more specific charitable organizations
in perpetuity.
• Scholarship Funds are established in the name
of a donor, or in honour of someone else, to help
individuals receive education and training they
might not otherwise be able to access.
• Memorial or Tribute Gifts allow friends
and family to donate in memory, or in honour,
of a loved one. These gifts become part of the
Community Building Fund unless directed to a
specific named fund.
We are here to help.
Please contact:
The Winnipeg Foundation
Leslie Weir, B.A., M.A., ACFRE
Director of Family Philanthropy
204.944.9474 ext 246
Or email: [email protected]
Inquiries and conversations are in
confidence and without obligation.