Focus topics
Before establishing a family foundation for the purpose of collective giving, it is imperative that families consider their ability to find common purpose and work together productively. A collective approach to giving should build on a foundation of social capital, rather than be a driving tool to create it.
In most businesses, the Board Chair’s role is seen as relatively straightforward: to ensure the Board and its governance committees function properly. However, in family enterprises, this role is far more complex, with responsibilities that go significantly beyond these traditional expectations.
Envisioning the family enterprise as a tree allows us to better understand the practical hierarchy at play: the roots represent the foundational family dynamics, the strong trunk embodies the ownership structure, and the expansive canopy symbolizes the diverse business ventures. This visual framework brings new clarity to the dynamic interplay of roles, responsibilities, and priorities across all facets of the family’s enterprise.
Family philanthropy offers families the opportunity to work together in service of a greater good—and in so doing, strengthen family relationships, transform individual participants, and address pressing social problems. But in today’s evolving landscape, family foundations—particularly more established ones—face a critical internal reckoning. More and more in our work with philanthropic families, we see family members questioning their roles and wondering if their contributions are truly meaningful. This introspection, fueled by a growing emphasis on equity and impact, raises a fundamental question: What is the value of our family in our family philanthropy now?
Family philanthropy offers families the opportunity to work together in service of a greater good—and in so doing, strengthen family relationships, transform individual participants, and address pressing social problems. But in today’s evolving landscape, family foundations—particularly more established ones—face a critical internal reckoning. More and more in our work with philanthropic families, we see family members questioning their roles and wondering if their contributions are truly meaningful. This introspection, fueled by a growing emphasis on equity and impact, raises a fundamental question: What is the value of our family in our family philanthropy now?
Jeremy Cheng explains in an article published by Bloomberg magazine why the Lui family, an enterprising family in Hong Kong did a good thing in laying down a plan for succession before the patriarch’s death.
In this article originally published in FFI Practitioner, our Advisor Jeremy Cheng explores the dynamic nature of legacy within family enterprises and the critical role of governance in its evolution. He emphasizes that legacy is not a static inheritance but a co-constructed entity shaped by interactions between legacy “senders” (e.g., founders) and “receivers” (e.g., successors).
LGA Advisor Jeremy Cheng, alongside his co-authors, explores how the second generation of Asia Green Group, a Malaysian family business in the timber and property sectors, is shaping sustainability efforts
Our latest book, The Enduring Enterprise showcases families from around the world who have thrived for generations under precisely these conditions, and what their survival and success have to teach business leaders everywhere. Why, you might wonder, would operating in New Delhi or Lagos have any relevance to some of the world’s most sophisticated businesses in New York or London?
The answer is simple: stability within these privileged environments is evaporating before our very eyes as we enter a New Age of Uncertainty.
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