From Naomi Strongin, Acting Director of the Center for Designed Philanthropy

As a full-time working mother of three elementary school-aged children, the last 18 months have felt like a never-ending marathon of Zoom school, art projects, science experiments, math practice, reading time—and a dining table transformed into a home office. I can recount the many challenges of becoming a home-school teacher to two first-graders and a fourth-grader. But I was lucky. Our family received vital support from our children’s Jewish day school including technology, a full-day Zoom schedule, and weekly check-ins from teachers.

But the quality of education provided across LA County is uneven and deeply inequitable. Even before the pandemic, disparities in the quality of schools and educational resources existed along stark lines of race, income level, and ZIP codes, where what you look like and where you live impacts graduation rates, dropout patterns, and standardized assessment scores.

COVID-19 has only exacerbated these pre-existing disparities, especially in low-income communities of color, which have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. As schools turned to remote learning, students received different learning experiences based on where they live and what school they attend. For low-income students, their challenges are more often compounded by limited resources and other stressors. School closures have also shifted greater responsibilities onto parents and guardians, but not all parents have equal capacity or resources to support their children’s learning at home.

Over the past 10 years, The Foundation has awarded over 70 General Community Grants totaling over $2.5 million to address a range of important issues in Los Angeles, including homelessness, human trafficking, college readiness for foster youth, and building paths out of poverty. These grants reflect The Foundation’s strong commitment to tikkun olam, repairing the world, beyond the Jewish community.

This year, thanks to our incredible family of donors, we invested a record $1 million to support education equity in communities of color, including programs focused on expanding mentorship, increasing college attainment, and empowering students to advocate for their educational needs. We are helping a generation of students succeed inside and outside the classroom and overcome the inequities they face.

It has been a challenging year, but we have the capacity and responsibility to meet it with action. And at The Foundation we are doing just that—directing resources to the greatest needs facing our community. And it is my sincere hope that one day, all children—no matter their skin color or ZIP code—will have the same educational opportunities and privileges afforded to my own family.

Giving as a family requires effective communication and collaboration, especially when multiple generations with different perspectives and ideas are at play. Here are four tips to help guide a conversation about philanthropy with your family:

1. Listen. While family dynamics can be complicated, interest areas may differ, and core values may not align, every family member, no matter their age or stage of life, deserves to be heard. Listening to one another with respect and without judgment can lead to important, honest, and meaningful conversations.

2. Find common ground. There will be many issues where family members will differ. One family member is interested in supporting Jewish causes; another sees childhood poverty as their priority concern; and yet another is focused on environmental causes. There are ways to critically examine values and priorities to find areas that do align.

3. Consider what is most important to you and your family. For some families, fulfilling the legacy of past generations rises above all else. For others, the interests of future generations matter most. And still for some, the impact of the dollars, no matter the particular cause, is what resonates. Through meaningful discussions, families can pinpoint their core values and the best way to act on those values and find common causes to support as a family unit.

4. Work with experts to consider your options. At the Center for Designed Philanthropy, we have guided families in a number of ways. Some families choose to create a formal family foundation with an overarching mission and vision that will continue for generations to come. Other families have chosen to open individual Donor Advised Funds for each of their children and grandchildren so that each one can choose for themselves how to give. And many more fall somewhere in the middle – engaging family members in conversations around philanthropy at the Thanksgiving, Shabbat, or Passover tables.

Was this helpful? Read the full piece on intergenerational giving in our latest issue of Legacy.