December 7, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
NEW BOOKS
Generations of Giving: Leadership and Continuity in Family Foundations
by Kelin E. Gersick
In this study commissioned by the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Kelin E. Gersick explores the characteristics of multigenerational philanthropy and how donors can work to include their families in their charitable giving.
Mr. Gersick, a cofounder and senior partner of Lansberg, Gersick & Associates, a research and consulting firm, interviewed and surveyed officials of 30 family foundations that have survived to their second generation. In three sections, he summarizes the history of family funds, their development and organizational structure, and lessons on governance, continuity, and family dynamics.
The transition from founder to heirs or from heirs to foundation employees are critical junctures in determining the organization’s direction and family members’ commitment; Mr. Gersick describes how some family funds were able to effectively navigate such changes, including clarifying or redefining the founders’ missions and integrating family members’ own philanthropic suggestions.
Publisher: Lexington Books, 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Lanham, Md. 20706; 283 pages; $29.95; ISBN 0-7391-1863-3.
