Centimillionaires may approach philanthropy through both direct giving and investment decisions. Some families align part of an investment portfolio with charitable priorities, while others look for investments that combine financial returns with social or environmental benefits. Approaches vary, so families often need to define the outcomes they want and how they will measure them.
Giving and investing can work together
For some families, philanthropy extends beyond donations. They consider whether investments can support the same goals as their charitable work. A speaker at a Family Office Club event described foundations and family offices aligning a portion of their investment portfolios with philanthropic priorities. The example shared was the Roddenberry Foundation, founded by the creator of Star Trek, which considered investments that fit both its portfolio and its philanthropy.
That approach lets a family consider its charitable aims alongside its investment strategy. The excerpt does not establish that every family office follows this model, or that it is right for every family.
Weighing purpose, people, profit, and outcomes
Impact investing can bring practical questions: what counts as impact, which outcomes matter, and how can they be measured? One event speaker described an approach centered on "purpose, people and profit." That framing puts a family's intended benefits alongside the people affected and the investment's financial case.
Families can also look for investments that do good while making money. A Family Office Club speaker noted that some families may choose such an investment over one that only makes money, even without a formal impact mandate. The speaker also observed that some next-generation family members are giving more attention to impact and ESG considerations.
A family-wide approach across generations
Impact priorities can vary among relatives. Richard C. Wilson writes that he favors ideas that do social good while also being self-replicating, lowering operating costs, or offering a tax advantage. He says those features can help family members across generations support an idea, rather than leaving it to one interested person or branch of the family. This is his stated view, not a universal rule for centimillionaire families.
A practical starting point is to agree on a small number of priorities, decide what outcomes would count as progress, and consider whether those goals belong in charitable giving, investment decisions, or both. The supplied excerpts describe several approaches, but do not provide a single standard for measuring impact.
Sources
- Henley & Partners, Centi-Millionaire Report 2024
- Henley & Partners, Centi-Millionaire Report 2024: Mapping the Centi-Millionaire Boom
- Family Office Club event transcript
- Family Office Club event transcript
- Family Office Club event transcript
- Family Office Club event transcript
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