A couple and their three adult children were deeply moved by current events, and the children wanted to dedicate a significant portion of time and some assets from the family donor-advised fund to philanthropic endeavors over the next six months. The couple requested BBH’s help guiding the children through the charity selection process.

BBH facilitated a family meeting using our proprietary tool, Identifying Your Philanthropic Mission, to help identify causes the children would like to support. After determining the causes about which the children were the most passionate, BBH guided them through research tools and resources they could use to find relevant charities, including a tutorial on how to read a Form 990 (nonprofit tax form) to uncover how the organization operates from a financial perspective.

A multigenerational family sought assistance educating the next generation (ages 8 to 14) around investing and the markets.

BBH hosted a three-generation family meeting, during which we had the group of grandchildren create a faux business and engaged them on topics related to capital and the markets. In addition, BBH provided education around investing (including different asset classes) and returns.

A multigenerational family had a structured, active family foundation with a solid grantmaking framework in place and metrics for measuring impact. The grandparents and parents sought assistance engaging the next generation early in philanthropy.

BBH hosted a family meeting, during which we helped the grandparents explain the family’s grantmaking policies to their grandchildren. We used our proprietary tool, Identifying Your Philanthropic Mission, to facilitate a discussion about the causes that mattered to the grandchildren. Each grandchild then spoke about a cause and why it mattered to them at the meeting. Afterward, at BBH’s suggestion, each grandchild proposed to the grandparents a donation to a specific charity and discussed the reasons behind each grant and how they would measure impact.

Two parents who had set up a trust for their children were struggling with how to best educate them on the basics around trusts and sought assistance doing so. In addition, they wanted their children to understand the benefits of trusts.

BBH worked with the next generation to provide an overview of trusts, including what a trust is, what theirs provides, why their parents set them up, the purpose of the trust and the role of the trustee. In addition, we explained the benefits of trusts vs. simply transferring the assets outright and covered creditor protection and the tax laws surrounding trusts to help the children better understand these benefits. Lastly, we gave tips on how to develop a good relationship with your trustee.