Client Overview

An $18M private family foundation with 5 board members, including several geographically diverse next-generation participants, approached Legacy Impact Group to support their overall strategy and operations.

The Challenge

With a majority of the foundation’s board members working “real jobs” and some raising their own families, the annual operations of the foundation were falling by the wayside. Despite the family’s shifting interests and involvements, the same organizations were receiving grants each year and board members didn’t have the bandwidth to research new opportunities. Additionally, the board met only once annually in Q4 in a scramble to approve annual allocations, with funds sent to partner organizations in the final days of the year.

The Solution

Through an annual engagement model, Legacy Impact Group serves as the foundation’s philanthropic advisor and oversees strategy and operations in support of the family’s philanthropy. Annual support includes:

  1. Formalization of grant process by developing a grant cycle that is split across two distinct periods of the year, with creation of an invitation-only grant application to encourage transparency for partner organizations. Legacy Impact Group communicates directly with partner organizations on the family’s behalf, inviting them to apply for a grant and then synthesizing their applications for the board to review;

  2. Prepare & conduct quarterly board meetings to discuss overall foundation strategy as well as grant allocations and other pertinent matters;

  3. Research and field new grant opportunities for the foundation through conversations with board members and an understanding of their interests as well as the overall mission of the family foundation; 

  4. Branding through creation of foundation logo and website, further professionalizing their community presence as their endowment grows and so, too, will their community involvement and impact. 

The Results

We determined 5 distinct giving categories, and we now focus only in those areas. In this calendar year, we have already distributed half of the foundation’s annual allocations by June to 9 partner organizations. The work is being executed and the foundation’s capital is being deployed for greater, more swift community impact.

Client Testimonial

“Working with Legacy Impact Group has been a transformative experience for our family foundation. Their guidance helped us move from a more reactive, ad hoc approach to a thoughtful and strategic framework for giving. They brought clarity to our mission, helped formalize internal processes, and ensured we had the tools and structure to make more impactful decisions. Thanks to their expertise, we’re now aligned around a clear vision and are seeing the real-world difference that focused, intentional philanthropy can make. I’m incredibly grateful for their partnership and insight—our foundation is stronger and more effective because of it.” - President of Family Foundation

Client Overview

An 80-something matriarch and her three adult children approached Legacy Impact Group to facilitate conversations around family philanthropy and explore whether a shared giving structure made sense following the transition of a significant family estate.

The Challenge

While there was shared goodwill and interest in honoring family values, the siblings had not previously come together as a collective to discuss philanthropy. Each had different levels of interest in working together, and there was a clear desire to avoid unnecessary conflict or pressure. Importantly, the family did not want to rush into setting up a private foundation or other formal structure like a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) without first having meaningful conversations about alignment, roles, and expectations. They were seeking clarity - not complexity - and wanted to understand whether collective philanthropy made sense before taking irreversible steps.

The Solution

Legacy Impact Group served as a neutral facilitator and guide throughout the process. The work included:

  • Facilitation of structured family conversations to create space for open, productive dialogue;

  • Individual and collective exploration of values and philanthropic interests;

  • Identification of areas of overlap as well as differences in desired involvement;

  • Clarification of potential roles and levels of participation among family members;

  • Education on what family philanthropy can entail, including common models, expectations, and tradeoffs.

Notably, Legacy Impact Group did not recommend or implement a specific philanthropic structure or position itself as a long-term advisor. The focus was on building understanding and capacity so the family could make informed decisions independently.

The Results

By the conclusion of the engagement, the family had accomplished what they set out to do: they were able to speak openly and productively about philanthropy as a family, name shared interests, acknowledge differences, and approach next steps with greater confidence and clarity.

Rather than feeling rushed or uncertain, the family left the process with a clearer sense of whether collective philanthropy made sense for them at this stage, and how they might proceed in a way that respected both shared values and individual boundaries.

Client Overview

A $17M private family foundation with two board members - millennial siblings who recently inherited the foundation following the passing of their father - engaged Legacy Impact Group to support the transition into their new roles as trustees and to establish a clear, sustainable path forward for the foundation’s work.

The Challenge

Prior to inheriting the foundation, the siblings had not been meaningfully involved in its strategy or operations and had little exposure to philanthropy. Following their father’s passing, they were suddenly responsible for stewarding a significant charitable asset without a clear understanding of how decisions should be made or what best practices to follow.

While the foundation had accumulated a grantmaking carryover that allowed decisions to be deferred temporarily, nearly every aspect of the work felt unclear: how to determine grant size and recipients, how to communicate with nonprofit partners, how the foundation should be operated day to day, and whether trustee compensation was appropriate. Without guidance, the siblings felt paralyzed by the responsibility of moving forward—particularly in the absence of their father, who had previously held the vision and institutional knowledge.

Over time, it became clear that deferring decisions was not a long-term option. The foundation’s assets continued to grow, yet they were not being actively managed by a wealth advisor, and the siblings lacked the information and confidence needed to make informed philanthropic decisions.

Without intentional intervention, the foundation risked stagnation at precisely the moment when thoughtful stewardship and clarity were most needed.

The Solution

Legacy Impact Group initially engaged on a project basis, which evolved into a six-month advisory engagement designed to help the siblings establish the foundation’s direction and ultimately operate independently without outside professional support.

The work included:

  • Consolidation and presentation of historical giving data to create a clear picture of the foundation’s past activity;

  • Facilitation of conversations to translate the founder’s wishes into a mission that also reflected the siblings’ individual interests and values;

  • Development of the foundation’s first articulated mission, priorities, and grantmaking processes;

  • Education and coaching on grantmaking, operations, compliance, and best practices for private family foundations of their size.

The Results

By the end of the engagement, the siblings had gained clarity, confidence, and momentum. The foundation now has a wealth advisor managing its nearly $20M endowment, a clear structure around trustee compensation and defined grantmaking strategies and processes.

The siblings have made intentional family grants and are positioned to continue doing so independently. Through the process, they also gained a deeper understanding of what each other cares about, leading to shared focus areas alongside individual discretionary giving priorities.

Perhaps most importantly, the siblings moved from feeling overwhelmed and unsure to feeling capable and prepared. The foundation is now set up for success, with the structure and confidence needed to carry the work forward.