Your generation can determine how you give

Last year, I met with a woman who was referred to the Community Foundation by her attorney. She was passionate about helping individuals with limited or no access to healthcare. As we talked more, I learned about her own personal journey of health and well-being and how she wanted to create a safety net for those without access to care. In her will, she designed a fund to carry on her own personal values and help with an important community need. Her generational viewpoint and life experiences played a major role in the creation of her fund.

Recently, I attended a workshop about how the year you are born effects the way you relate to the world around you. The focus of the workshop was to help nonprofit organizations relate to their donors and to help them understand their donors and how they approach giving, volunteering and life in general.

Generational research shows that there are distinct similarities in people who were born during a specific time period. From the 1930s to the 1990s and for subsets in between, several common traits are present in each population group. Family values, societal trends, military service, parental expectations, religion, and a host of other factors effect groups of people in similar ways.

As the presenter revealed the traits of each group, many of us nodded in agreement to her findings. Each group acknowledged common stories about significant events in history: the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the space shuttle explosion, life before computers, life after computers, September 11, and others. We discussed the disappearance of rotary phones, hand-written letters, and pop-tops on soda cans; replaced now by cell phones, text messages and bottled water. We talked about our own experiences and discussed how this research could help us relate better to donors from different eras.

Each of us has a story to share. And some donors want to continue their story, or legacy, even after they die. Endowed funds at a community foundation can help a donor establish a permanent recognition of important values. We seek to help donors create a legacy that is built around their generational experiences and values systems.

For many born during the Depression era and who experienced lean economic times, a college education was out of reach. However, these individuals went on to have successful careers as entrepreneurs or in family owned businesses. Scholarship funds for higher education or Field of Interest Funds for business education initiatives may be a good fit. For many born during the late 50s and early 60s,

social issues and environmental problems shaped their early years. Funds for social and environmental causes can be created to solve future problems.

Each of us brings important values to our community. We can help you create a legacy of those values to share with future generations. For more information establishing your legacy, please contact the Southwest Florida Community Foundation at (239) 274-5900.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry through endowed funds for nearly 32 years. With assets of more than $57 million and over 320 endowed funds, the Community Foundation has provided more than $30 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves.

For more information, call (239) 274-5900, or visit their Web site at www.floridacommunity.com.