The New Philanthropists
Earlier this month I was privileged to attend InterGEN Summit 2020 and to experience first-hand how NextGen philanthropists and aspiring philanthropists promote community and collaboration to change the world. Over the course of a full weekend of events, I was challenged, educated and inspired.
InterGEN Summit is the brainchild of Chelsea Toler-Hoffman, President of the Keep Families Giving (KFG) Foundation in Austin. I have known Chelsea since she was an intern at Austin Opera and I was the Interim General Director, smart enough to hire her on full time. She went on to a development position at I Live Here, I Give Here, while completing a Master in Non-Profit Leadership and starting on a PhD. All of this led to her current role at the KFG Foundation.
With a talented NextGen Advisory Board, the InterGEN Summit was organized to inspire more purposeful philanthropic models and solutions across generations and sectors for social good. In doing so, KFG has helped establish Austin as an innovative philanthropic hub in alignment with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Nearly 200 participants and presenters gathered in Austin, representing a new generation of philanthropy from all over the world.
Attendees could curate their own experience by selecting sessions along various tracks – Education, Tech, Family, Impact/Venture, Film and “Off the Record.” Formats included small presentations, simulations, workshops and storytelling. Representatives from the UN were there, as were nationally renowned consultants, thought leaders and venture capitalists who spoke on a variety of issues and topics from effective impact investing to accelerating innovation through culture shift.
Keynote speakers Jim Epstein of the Gamble family and Amy English of Pathfinder International discussed this non-profit started by Jim’s great-grandfather Clarence Gamble. I was struck by the way the sixth-generation family members engage with this non-profit, very differently than the generations before them. Jim described his typical site visits to Africa, meeting with the people on site, touring the facilities and hearing presentations and updates on current programs. In contrast, his daughters donned the agency’s uniform and went into the field to participate in the programmatic activities firsthand.
I came away from the InterGEN Summit 2020 with a new appreciation for disruptive philanthropy and the passion that NextGens bring to solving world problems. With a $60 billion transfer of wealth anticipated over the next 30 years[1], this is of great significance in addressing issues of succession planning, family dynamics and financial education. We at SineCera Capital are prepared to assist our clients with these needs.
Connee Sullivan
Head of Family Office Services
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