Values & Valuables: How to Pass on Your Values Along with Your Valuables

Values & Valuables: Discovering Values in the Valuable Void (Part 2 of 3)

Financial planning, legal, and accounting firms admittedly focus only on the transition of your assets to the next generation — so how do you pass your values along with your valuables?

We left off last time discussing how Mark Zezbaugh, a high-ranking executive in the financial planning field, confessed that his company focuses on delivering a smooth transition of assets from one generation to another.

He admitted that they don’t do much to help donors pass along their values to their heirs.

He partnered with marketing think tank Age Wave to conduct a study to find the baby boomer generation’s top four priorities when it came to estate planning.

The study showed that the number one goal of baby boomers is to pass their values to their children. Click To Tweet

Passing their wealth, was only number four.

People’s values can be cultural. They can be spiritual. They can be personal.

Values embody the important elements of your family and your belief system.

This means that your values are the most important element of your estate planning because it is the foundation of your legacy.

However, what is important in my values, family, and beliefs may not be the same for your family.

So, if financial planning experts aren’t giving it a single thought, how do people pass on their values to their heirs?

A Lifetime of Generosity

The first way to pass along your values to your heirs has nothing to do with your will. Instead, it has everything to do with the life you’ve lived and the example you’ve given to your heirs.

If you are like most average Americans, you have faithfully donated funds to certain organizations over the course of your lifetime.

No matter your gifts size, your faithful generosity leaves a powerful impression on those around you. Click To Tweet

It doesn’t take a large amount of money to pass on your values!

A Lifetime of Volunteering

If you’re thinking of leaving a lasting legacy then it’s safe for me to assume you’ve spent time raising money or participating in some sort of volunteering.

This is a powerful component of the example you’ve set for your family and other heirs. Don’t think of your service hours as simply the least you could do — they’re the best thing you could possibly do!

Gifts often go unseen, but your volunteering reflects the causes and ministries that are dear to your heart. Click To Tweet

Believe me, the next generation sees that and makes note of it.

An Estate Plan that Reflects Your Values

Money reflects your values so strongly that it can make or break a family. Strengthen your family and heirs by creating an estate plan that accurately and creatively reflects your values.

Your estate plan should communicate clearly what you care about.

You might have to get a little creative to make your values shine through — but there are amazing ways to use your estate plan to pass along your values. I know one family who set aside money in their estate for annual donations, so their children could get involved in making a strong impact on others.

Another family set aside funds specifically so that each individual family could create lasting memories by going on an annual vacation.

In both cases, the initiators of those values may not have been physically present — but they are still making a lasting impact on future generations and their communities.

Serve Together

If you are a pastor or nonprofit ministry leader, create an environment that encourages folks to pass their values on to the next generation.

Perhaps this involves taking an intergenerational mission trip where families can serve together in a common cause.

Perhaps it means putting on a donor event for their children so the children can enjoy the same level of joy in giving that their parents experience.

Perhaps it is bringing in outside speakers or curriculum to help people understand the biblical idea of passing on their values to the next generation.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.” – Proverbs 13:22

One of the questions we get frequently here at The Giving Crowd is — what do other people do?

We’ve worked for decades helping donors identify their values and pass them along to the next generation. We’ve seen and been a part of some of the most inspiring intergenerational stories of giving and family values.

We’d be happy to share these stories with you, help you sort out the values that God has placed on your heart, and show you the many ways those values can be translated into your estate plan.

No obligation and no fees – so get a hold of us today!

Or, if you’re a pastor or nonprofit ministry leader, you may need someone to walk alongside you to help implement an environment of intergenerational giving.

If so, we’re ready to help. The call is free – so contact us today and see if we’re the right fit for you.