Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, innovative foundations, and a few select non-profits — Legacy investors are diverse with significant demands on their time beyond philanthropy. What they all share is a desire to leave a meaningful legacy to leverage their resources and maximize their impact.
Is there a secret to doing philanthropy well? How do you choose well among such a myriad of worthy causes? What are some of the pitfalls to be avoided? Can you best contribute more than money? Many who have traveled this path have discovered that it’s harder to give money away well than it is to earn it in the first place. Many of the most successful philanthropists are like the best craftsman of venture capital. They have learned their craft following a well-worn path from apprentice to master. Since today’s schedules and urgent needs may not allow years for mastery, Legacy strives to provide an environment in which fellow investors accelerate their skills by sharing insights with each other, much in the way that iron sharpens iron.
When committed successful individuals connect and share their philanthropic passions and experiences, they gain valuable insights from one another. We encourage such dialogue through individual introductions through luncheons, dinners, and other gatherings. For new philanthropists and young foundations, these connections provide bridges to the ideas, talents, and contacts of those more seasoned. For experienced givers and foundations, they provide an opportunity to share insights and skills with other investors, helping them avoid classic pitfalls.
We offer investors the opportunity to hear from world-class philanthropic thinkers and leaders. Recent events have included a workshop on the impact of wealth on our children, a dinner with the godfather of microenterprise on attacking global poverty, a luncheon on transforming public education through venture philanthropy, a forum on healing children across borders, and dialogues on innovative solutions to environmental problems ranging from those in our own backyard to those of a burgeoning China. More examples can be found by clicking on “Legacy Events” button below.
In addition to financial support for the causes they care about, many Legacy investors devote a far more precious resource, that of their time and talents. Legacy members are founders, executive directors, chairmen, and board members of an impressive list of organizations in many areas of philanthropy. These highly engaged investors offer a superb resource as they share lessons learned in negotiating the divide between non-profits and for-profits. This has become even more valuable recently with the emergence of social entrepreneurs and blended value organizations. To see some examples, click on “More than Dollars” button below .
