School, Work, Family, and Foundation Too

Engaging Young Adults

It will come as no surprise to most that young adulthood, from the late teens to the mid-thirties, is a particularly busy time.

As young adults pursue degrees, settle into careers, and start families of their own, participation in a foundation can be far from the top of a to-do list. But this stage of life can be a wonderful time to be involved in the work of a foundation—a rewarding change of pace and a chance for new perspectives, ideas, and enthusiasm at the foundation table.

Whether you’re a young adult excited about becoming involved in your family’s foundation or a family member hoping to engage the next generation, where do you start?

Expect and Embrace Change

“For those who have already begun to involve next generation family members,” says Sharna Goldseker, who works on multigenerational strategic philanthropy at the organization 21/64, “you probably have also experienced how the very act of involving the next generation changes the character of the foundation itself. The questions the next generation brings, language they use, as well as their values and priorities cause a paradigm shift in the way the foundation operates.”

For example, involving the next generation can mean a shift in practical matters, such as when and where the foundation meets, how the board communicates, or the range of foundation and board roles. It can also mean a shift in substantive issues, as young members of the board introduce their own ideas and approaches, informed by their generational sensibilities, professional experiences, and personal passions. Young adults may introduce new grantees, suggest ways to help beyond traditional approaches, or press the board to define or refine its mission and focus.

Are you ready to negotiate change but uncertain where to go from here? Read on for ideas and advice.

Create Space for Real Participation

“The most important thing is to treat young people as equals at the board table,” says Susan Price of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. “They don’t know everything the older generation knows, but they know some things the older generation doesn’t. This should be a two-way partnership, not the elders passing down their wisdom from on high.”

Start with conversations about how the next generation wants to participate, encourages Goldseker: “Some families want to lay out a plan for the next generation rather than asking what they’re ready for. If we ask how they’d like to be involved, they often give us the best guidance of all.”

In the course of conversations like these, there are sure to be a range of responses. Some young adults may be ready for full participation on the board, others may want to take on a small or time-limited role, and yet others will decline the offer. In the case of declines, be sure to ask again in a year or two—keeping the door open for participation when ready.

Here are a range of ways in which ASF members involve young adults, many at the urging of the young adults themselves. Which are a good fit for you and your foundation?

  • Invite young adults to site visits—allowing them to experience and be inspired by the foundation’s work firsthand.
  • Encourage young adults to attend philanthropy workshops or conferences and provide funds to make it possible.
  • Take the time to educate young adults about the foundation’s history, mission, grantmaking strategies, finances, and investment practices.
  • Involve young adults in capturing the foundation’s history in writing or on videotape.
  • Allow young adults to make discretionary grants and/or match their individual giving.
  • Encourage young adults to become well versed in the issues about which they are passionate and to get involved as volunteers, not just as donors.
  • Connect each young adult with a board member or trusted advisor as a mentor.
  • Create internship opportunities for young adults if your foundation has staff.
  • Connect your young adults with those from other foundations. ASF can help!
  • Create opportunities for involvement by young adults other than board service (e.g., serving on a committee, suggesting prospective grantees).

Jamie Magdovitz of Magdovitz Family Foundation in Tennessee encourages young adults to be proactive if keen to become involved in foundation work, as she was in recent years:

Show passion, competence, and drive. Ask to participate. If the answer is no at first, ask again. And between asks, learn about foundations and the target community. Do a formal presentation about what you know, show how you will add value, and propose a few ideas to show the board what you’re made of. If there is no place to get involved, propose a new position on the board. Ask to be responsible for just one grant or for a certain amount of money.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

What stands out to young adults as key to their enthusiasm for foundation work?

  • Anne Swayne’s parents, who started Swayne Family Foundation, have always been open to her ideas and respectful in dealing with differences they might have. Yet, as Anne prepares to run the foundation in a few years, she finds it helpful to have a family friend and consultant as her mentor.
  • Charles Thornton and his siblings were old enough to become board members when the George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation was created. Although the grants made as a family were unifying, his discretionary grants made giving much more personal.
  • H’Krih Shelhamer finds annual foundation meetings of the Quail Roost Foundation to be quite useful, as well as nonfamily board members who “bring honesty without hostility.” H’Krih also finds the nonprofit and grantmaking experience of older generations to be very helpful as she explores grantmaking on her own.
  • Mark Strode’s mother stepped off the board of “The Woods” Charitable Foundation a few years ago, allowing her three children in their thirties to take the helm and redefine the foundation’s giving areas. His mom has now returned to the board and respects the new focus of the foundation, according to Mark.
  • Sarah Hall sees advantages and disadvantages to the model for next generation involvement used by The McCarthy Charities, Inc.—currently rotating “next gen” seats with 2-year terms. Although the model does not allow for long-term involvement by any one individual, it does allow Sarah and her cousins to participate in the 90-year-old foundation with a modest commitment.

Additional Resources


ASF Next Generation Programs — seminars for family foundation trustees (or those preparing for involvement in a family foundation).

Member Directory

Find ASF members with expertise in engaging youth, bringing the next generation on board, and more.

Next Generation Advisory Committee

Hats off to ASF’s new Next Generation Advisory Committee, younger ASF members who are engaged in the work of family foundations and who guide our content and programming for this important segment of the ASF membership:

  • Tiffany Emami • The Haraldson Foundation, TX
  • Patrick Fleming • Aunt Kate Foundation, MO
  • Ingrid Fox • Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation, CA
  • Sarah Hall • The McCarthy Charities, Inc., NY
  • Sarah Silbert Hinawi • Saul Silbert Charitable Trust, AZ
  • Jamie Magdovitz • Magdovitz Family Foundation, TN
  • H’Krih Shelhamer • Quail Roost Foundation, NM
  • Mark Strode • “The Woods” Charitable Foundation, PA
  • Scott Strode • “The Woods” Charitable Foundation, PA
  • Anne Swayne • Swayne Family Foundation, CA
  • Charles Thornton • George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation, CO

To learn more about ASF’s resources for the next generation, or to join our Next Gen e-mail list to hear of upcoming events and new publications for the next generation, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).