Philanthropy Is a Practice Before It Is an Amount.

When should we begin teaching the next generation to give?

Earlier than we think.

Last week, our founder, Adrienne Willis, returned to her alma mater, Spelman College, to welcome the Class of 2030.

Her message included a leadership lesson that applies well beyond the college campus:

The institutions we value cannot be sustained simply by appreciating them. We have to invest in them.

During Black Philanthropy Month, that message carries particular urgency.

Black women have long been significant contributors to the institutions and communities around them—from churches and nonprofits to businesses, educational institutions, and HBCUs. Yet recent labor-market disruption has disproportionately affected Black women, including college-educated Black women.

The implications extend beyond individual households.

When a community experiences a loss of economic power, the institutions that community supports can feel the impact, too.

That's why developing the next generation of donors matters.

Adrienne challenged Spelman's newest students to begin now:

$5. $10. $30.

Not because the size of a first gift will transform an institution.

Because the habit might.

At Lance Lucas & Associates, we spend a great deal of time thinking about what makes organizations sustainable. Strategy matters. Leadership matters. Capital matters.

But so does creating a culture in which people understand that stewardship is everyone's responsibility.

As Give 8/28 approaches, we encourage organizations to ask themselves:

Are we simply asking people for donations—or are we developing the next generation of philanthropists?

And for individuals:

What institutions helped make your journey possible? Are you investing in making sure they're there for the person coming behind you?

This Black Philanthropy Month, start somewhere.

Give where your heart leads you. But give.