Katherine Lorenz represents the succeeding generation of The Giving Pledge signators. As such, she’ll be responsible for fulfilling the philanthropic intentions of her grandparents, Cynthia and George Mitchell. In this podcast, Katherine shares her journey in preparing to lead her family’s foundation. Our conversation explores how her grandfather’s legacy influenced her style of philanthropy, the importance of sharing and learning from philanthropic failures, and the power of peer networks. By the end of the podcast, listeners will understand why Forbes magazine named Katherine among “Ones to Watch,” as a notable emerging philanthropist using her resources to make change in distinctive and innovative ways.

The founders of private foundations often have a story—a formative experience or insight that inspired them to become active philanthropists. In this podcast, Sharna Goldseker discusses The Grandparent Legacy Project, a tool to help you share your narrative that informed your personal identity as well as your philanthropy. Although many founders take these stories for granted, assuming that they’re “ancient history” as far as the next generation is concerned, they’re anything but. Your personal narrative, and the act of passing it on, is actually critical to conveying your philanthropic legacy to your family and enlisting the next generation to carry it forward.