FINANCIAL and estate planner Jeffrey Kraemer decided to do more than talk the talk, after watching his clients walk the walk on family philanthropy.
However, Kraemer made sure that when he walked, his wife Silvana and three children Paul, 15, Julia, 12, and Joanna, 9, would also join him.
The Kraemer family: sisters Joanna, Julia (foreground), parents Silvana and Jeffrey and brother Paul.
Kraemer said his family created a family philanthropy fund at the Winnipeg Foundation after a few years of listening to clients who wanted to set up their own philanthropic accounts there.
"Clients of mine would ask about wanting to incorporate a gift through their will," he said. "But more and more of our clients in recent years didn't want to wait until they died before giving. They wanted to start giving now."
Kraemer said the opportunity for his family to create a fund came up when he had a good year financially about four years ago. The family invested $5,000 and has been contributing at least $100 a month since.
"We brought the children with us to the foundation, so they could be a part of it," he said.
"Now when my wife says we're not going to go out for pizza, we'll make it at home and put the savings to the Winnipeg Foundation, they know what it is for.
Winnipeg Foundation's Leslie Wier and Rick Frost.
"The fund is now at a stage where we'll be having our first meeting soon as to where we want the annual earnings to go. This year, it will probably be the Canadian Human Rights Museum, but we'll decide every year."
The Winnipeg Foundation, the first community foundation in the country, was created in 1921 with a $100,000 donation by local banker William Forbes Alloway.
Since then, hundreds of Winnipeggers have joined in by creating their own endowment funds through the Winnipeg Foundation.
Kraemer said he and his family have learned you don't have to be rich to set up a family philanthropy fund.
"Randy Moffat donated $100 million. I don't know if I'll ever make that much in my life, but he gave what his family could and we are too," Kraemer said.
Rick Frost, executive director of the Winnipeg Foundation, said it is through the generosity of families like the Kraemers that the foundation has built up enough money to hand out $16.7 million in grants to about 650 charitable organizations last year.
"More than $19 million will be given back to the community this year," Frost said.
"It really is a long-term legacy for families. It reflects the expectations of donors and it is sustaining. We use the interest earned to make grants.
"Because of this, the fund will be here forever."
Leslie Weir, the foundation's director of family philanthropy, said she encourages families and individuals thinking about setting up a fund to let other family members know what they are doing so everyone can contribute.
"It's a way of letting our kids know not everyone is as privileged as we are," she said.
Weir said the foundation has resources and expertise -- including meetings, workshops, worksheets and planning documents -- that can help families make philanthropic decisions.
She said families have different goals when they meet with her. Some want to help fund research efforts into diseases. Others say that while cancer may have taken the life of a loved one, they want to support the life and passion of the person, whether it's through the arts, education or sport.
"I determine with the family what their wishes are and what they want to focus on. We have a long history of many donors making gifts that can be given out at the discretion of our board. But more and more people want to see their gifts at work during their lifetimes and they want to suggest a field of interest."
Weir said the average fund has $15,000 in it -- coincidentally, the average amount that is handed out by the foundation to an individual charitable agency.
Kraemer's kids are now so aware about philanthropy that they think of ways to help grow the fund.
"The girls held a garage sale, where they got rid of toys they didn't use anymore, and they wanted the funds raised to go to our fund at the Winnipeg Foundation," Kraemer said.
"That sale meant $187.47 went to the fund."
Kraemer said his family also tells relatives that instead of giving the children gifts, a donation to the fund would be welcome.
He says the same thing to clients who might normally give him a gift or to groups that would otherwise give him a thank-you present after a speaking engagement.
Kraemer said getting his children in on the ground floor of the fund to teach them about the benefits of philanthropy means that when they grow up, they will more likely continue to support the family fund or create their own funds.
"They'll always be aware about giving back to the society that has given so much to us," he said.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Field of Interest: The family or individual chooses a particular field to benefit, but not one organization. A field can include the arts or health, but the Winnipeg Foundation gets to choose the specific projects to be supported.
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