Helping families create a meaningful structure for their philanthropy has long been a hallmark of the North Carolina Community Foundation.  

Providing a structure and the resulting discipline are increasingly important as both wealth and charitable giving more frequently span multiple generations and help avoid family discord.   

By being part of the discussion, the NCCF team can help families smooth out the edges around common family challenges, including communication, decision-making, and charitable giving.   

We can work with a family under a variety of circumstances. Our team can serve as a sounding board for grantmaking and work with a family’s tax advisors to optimize the role and use of each vehicle.    

By consulting with our team and leaning into the structure that’s right for them, families can support their favorite causes.  

It can also provide opportunities for intergenerational learning, skill development and financial literacy, while promoting positive values and a sense of community. By creating a forum for shared experiences and values, you may get to know one another on a deeper level and strengthen your bonds, creating a lasting legacy and fostering a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Additional tips to engage your family now and ensure a smooth transition later: 

1. Wrap charitable giving into your family’s activities, such as throwing a birthday party that gives back or teaching younger kids about budgeting for donations. Teaching children the value of charitable giving requires intentional strategies that blend financial education with empathy-building experiences. By including philanthropy as a regular part of your family routines and traditions, you can help your kids understand wealth as a tool for positive impact rather than just personal gain. Over time, you’ll see that this approach fosters both financial literacy and compassion for others. Remember to offer choices to empower them and provide opportunities for hands-on involvement, such as volunteering at a food bank.  

2. Update or make a will. August is National Make-A-Will Month, which means it’s the perfect time to review your estate plans with your attorney and the NCCF team to ensure your philanthropic intentions are up to date. Succession planning isn’t just for business owners–it’s also important for leaving a charitable legacy. Strategies such as naming your donor-advised fund as a beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement account deliver tax advantages and enable your philanthropic dollars to be thoughtfully distributed in accordance with your values. Even a quick check-in now can maximize the impact of your legacy and help ensure that your wishes are clearly carried out to support the causes you care about for generations to come. The NCCF team can help capture your intentions, and we make it easy to involve your family members so that your donor advised fund can become a multi-generational legacy that reflects your values.  

3. Decide what to leave to heirs and what to leave to charity. A lot of donors and fund holders ask our team about the “step-up in basis” and how it factors into charitable planning. It’s an especially important principle as you evaluate which assets to leave to your fund at the community foundation in your will, trust or via beneficiary designation. Our team is happy to demystify this for you!