What households say after a programme

I attended the Beginning To Give Workshop with my sister in early April. We had both been making small donations for years but had never sat down to actually think about why, or whether the causes we chose reflected what we cared about as a family. The weekend gave us that occasion. The workbook is still on my kitchen table — we keep returning to one of the reflection exercises. I would say it is worth the two days.

Beginning To Give Workshop

We did the Family Legacy programme as a family — myself, my wife, and our two adult children who are both working now. The conversations we had during those four evenings were unlike anything we had managed at home. Not because of any dramatic revelations — just because the structure gave us a reason to finally say things we had been thinking for a long time. The facilitators managed the different views in the room very well. Highly recommend for families where the generations do not always see eye to eye.

Family Legacy Conversation Programme

The Considered Giver Cohort was a significant time commitment — I want to be honest about that. Ten weeks is ten weeks, and there were a couple of sessions that ran a little longer than I expected. But the legacy binder we completed at the end is something I am genuinely glad to have. It captures decisions my husband and I had been putting off for years. The peer group was also a pleasant surprise — there were other households at a similar stage and the forum discussions continued well after the programme finished.

The Considered Giver Cohort

What I appreciated most was that no one tried to tell us what to decide. The facilitator was very clear from the start that the programme was about helping us think, not about pointing us toward any particular charity or approach. That made the whole experience feel honest. I came to the weekend workshop on my own — my wife was sceptical — and she ended up attending the Family Legacy programme with me a few months later.

Beginning To Give Workshop

I was a bit uncertain about the Family Legacy programme — it felt like a big step. But the format works well: four evenings is enough to have real conversations without disrupting work schedules. The conversation deck they give you is well designed. We have used it twice at home since finishing the programme, which I think says something about whether it actually sticks. I would have liked slightly more guidance on what to do after — though I understand that is outside what they offer.

Family Legacy Conversation Programme

We completed the Cohort programme in January 2025. The legacy binder sits on our bookshelf. Our two daughters, who joined us for three of the sessions, refer to it occasionally — not because we tell them to, but because the questions it raises are still relevant to family conversations we are having. For us, that is the measure of whether a programme worked.

The Considered Giver Cohort