Giving That Lasts: How to Align Your Values With Your Legacy
Your generosity can do more than good today. It can shape the future.
What if your generosity could live on, continuing to make a difference long after you're gone?
A few days ago, I had a conversation with one of our very first clients. Their family began working with us in 2004. Today, we’re collaborating with the third generation and making plans with the fourth.
For them, charitable giving isn’t just about writing checks. It’s a family tradition. A living record of what matters most.
Why Legacy Giving Matters
We don’t often know what our great-grandparents cared about. But giving can be a way to pass that down.
Your charitable choices reflect your values. Even small gifts—given consistently—create touchpoints that link generations and build lasting family culture.
And no, it doesn’t need to be complicated or costly. Most families we work with start with modest goals: a donor-advised fund, an annual scholarship, or a simple family conversation about where to give and why.
We Make Legacy Giving Easy
At the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, we help families turn values into action and action into legacy.
Whether you're looking to:
Introduce younger generations to giving
Create a long-term family fund
Align your estate plan with your charitable goals we’re here to make it simple, strategic, and sustainable. Here are some simple steps to take to pass down charitable values, not just wealth.
Step 1: Identify What Matters Most to You
Ask yourself:
What causes have shaped your life?
What issues do you care about deeply?
What stories do you want your family to remember about you?
Action: Write down 2–3 causes or organizations that reflect your values.
Step 2: Talk to Your Family About It
Giving can become a family tradition, but only if you start the conversation. Consider sharing with your kids and grandkids:
Why you give
What you hope future generations will support
How even small gifts can make a difference
Action: Choose one night this month to talk with your kids or grandkids about your charitable values and ask about their giving interests and passions.
Step 3: Build a Simple Giving Plan
You don’t need millions to make an impact. Many families start small:
A donor-advised fund with yearly contributions
An annual scholarship or memorial fund
A giving plan built into your estate
Action: Schedule a call with our team to explore your options. We’ll help you keep it simple and aligned with your goals.
We created this printable conversation guide to help you initiate conversations with your loved ones. You can download it here.
Our mission is to help people live and give charitably, and that starts with candid, confidential conversations.
Schedule a confidential consultation, with no strings attached, to see if we can help you today.
By David Aft, President of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia