Building a Meaningful Philanthropy Strategy

Building a Meaningful Philanthropy Strategy

From Family Office Success by White River Consultants

April 28, 2026 · 38 min · Season 4 · Episode 9

About this episode

Christi Van Rite and Joshua Chadajo discuss creating a meaningful philanthropy strategy for families.

In this episode of the Family Office Success podcast, Christi Van Rite continues the philanthropy series with Joshua Chadajo of JEC Philanthropy to discuss helping families get to the “why” behind their giving and align gifts with clear priorities. Josh shares his background running nonprofits and explains why many donors lack organization and strategy, often giving defensively amid constant requests. He describes his approach, including a philanthropic audit of recent gifts, creating a living giving plan, and serving as a “fractional executive director” for a family’s philanthropy by tracking, budgeting, coordinating with advisors, and partnering with nonprofits on outcomes. They discuss practical examples such as avoiding misdirected gifts, using challenge grants, and a story where $950 prevented a student’s career plans from derailing. Josh emphasizes year-round planning, avoiding autopilot giving, documenting intent, and seeking expert support. CONNECT WITH JOSHUA: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachadajo/ Website: www.jecphilanthropy.com Email address: joshua@jecphilanthropy.com

People in this episode

Host: Christi Van Rite

Guest: Joshua Chadajo

Topics covered

  • philanthropy
  • donor strategy
  • family giving
  • nonprofit management
  • planning

Keywords

  • philanthropy strategy
  • donor organization
  • living giving plan
  • philanthropic audit
  • challenge grants

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: JEC Philanthropy, LinkedIn, jecphilanthropy.com

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