Over 40 women enjoyed an evening of wine and financial wisdom on May 12 at River Bend Winery in downtown Louisville. Kathryn Miree, a nationally-renowned expert on estate planning for women, shared her “Seven Habits of Highly Successful Women.”

Women are a strong economic force, but many are simply not prepared when it comes to personal financial planning. Many women (generally older women) haven’t had as much experience in financial matters. And oftentimes when women are in meetings with their financial or estate planner, they are left out of the conversation – the planner only addresses the husband.

Ms. Miree outlined seven key strategies for women to take control of their financial future, from making a budget and a will to seeking professional advice for their plans. Habit #6 particularly resonated with the audience: Successful Women Engage Their Children in Philanthropy.

Miree explained that philanthropy doesn’t have to be complex and sophisticated, and it can be introduced as early as seven or eight years old. She encouraged the audience to use “kitchen table philanthropy” in their families. You allocate to your children (or grandchildren) a small sum of money for them to donate to a charitable cause. The kids research the causes that are of interest to them (with some help), and then visit two or three nonprofit organizations to determine if they are worthy of support. You then return to the kitchen table to discuss how much to give to each cause, and send out checks in the name of the children.



The Community Foundation can help you get started with your own kitchen table philanthropy. Contact Linda Speed or Anne Monell at 502.585.4649 to learn more about our options for making your charitable giving easy, flexible and more meaningful than you ever thought possible.