Leading Question

Yes, but they want to know where their money goes. The question is timely for local foundations. As baby boomers near retirement, America is entering a period of wealth transfer larger than ever.

"Trends in giving over the past several years have changed the philanthropy landscape, and more and more donors are becoming involved in measuring the impact of their grants," says Mary George, president of the Community Foundation of Collier County.

"Many families are setting up donor-advised funds at community foundations," says Michael J. Schroeder, an investment adviser and trustee of the Community Foundation.

Judie Cassidy, director of advancement at Florida Gulf Coast University, agrees. "Fewer dollars are going unrestricted. Donors are directing gifts and how they will be used in particular organizations," she says.

Nationally, more family foundations are seeking the expertise of community foundations to identify local needs. In a recent poll, 68 percent of family foundations surveyed chose succession as the number-one issue facing their family foundation. George explains that family foundations make up two-fifths of the 56,000 private foundations in the United States. But they give more than $11 billion in grants each year, or approximately 40 percent of the total $27.5 billion awarded.

"Generations of families get involved in giving to local causes, where they can see the impact of their giving," says George.

Many families have already begun to encourage their children to take an active role in how the family wealth is managed and ultimately distributed, Schroeder says.

Locally, the United Way Lee County has had the largest reported percentage increase of all United Ways of similar size in the country. President Cliff Smith says that it's a "popular misconception that younger generations are less generous." That's not true in Southwest Florida, he says.

"We live in a special community because of our environment and climate. People want to be here and have chosen to be here, so they have a special stake in making it a better place to live," Smith says. "People really step up here. We are amazed every day at how generous our community is." -Katie S. Betz