Family Philanthropy: Build the Process, Trust the Process
For more than 30 years, this private family foundation has been a pillar in their community for supporting humanitarian aid, housing, and education initiatives, guided by its deep commitment to uplifting both its local area in Los Angeles and the broader American Muslim community.
As the philanthropic arm of a large real estate corporation that gives more than $1M annually in grants, the family behind the foundation was passionate about making a meaningful difference but faced challenges in formalizing their approach to giving. With a business empire to oversee, they lacked the time and infrastructure to ensure their philanthropic dollars reached their full potential. What they needed was a trusted partner who could help professionalize their giving and maximize their impact.
Enter Barakah Group. From the outset, we partnered with the family to curate a comprehensive historical giving analysis. This revealed trends in their past investments, highlighting which mission areas and organizations had received the most attention—and which had been overlooked. Through candid interviews, we uncovered themes and patterns in their philanthropic journey, synthesizing these insights into a clear and actionable report. This became the cornerstone for their next funding cycle.
To address new opportunities, we introduced the Wasta Warm Call Vetting Process, a pragmatic framework designed to streamline decision-making for new funding opportunities. This one-page system ranks potential grantees based on their alignment with the foundation’s priorities, their organizational efficacy, and the leadership's reputation. By distilling complex assessments into an intuitive format, we empowered the family to make informed decisions in a hyper-efficient manner.
Barakah Group also recognized that building internal capacity was key to sustaining impact. We trained the family office team, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to manage the newly established processes for grants with confidence. What once was an informal and ad hoc operation transformed into a strategic, efficient, and fulfilling giving experience.
Today, this family foundation continues to benefit from our advisory services. Leveraging our extensive network of nonprofit leaders, we ensure their philanthropic initiatives are entrusted to the most capable hands. Together, we’ve not only enhanced the foundation’s impact but also elevated the very experience of giving—turning passion into purpose, and purpose into lasting change.
