A growing number of women inheriting wealth are redefining philanthropy.
Rather than focusing on luxury or one-time donations, many are channeling their resources into lasting, purpose-driven movements that can shape communities for generations.
One powerful example is Alice L. Walton, the richest woman in the world, who recently opened her own medical school and is covering tuition for its first five graduating classes, as reported by Time magazine.
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Kiplinger’s Adviser Intel, formerly known as Building Wealth, is a curated network of trusted financial professionals who share expert insights on wealth building and preservation. Contributors, including fiduciary financial planners, wealth managers, CEOs and attorneys, provide actionable advice about retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies and more. Experts are invited to contribute and do not pay to be included, so you can trust their advice is honest and valuable.
Walton’s $154 million investment in Bentonville, Arkansas, reimagines medical education by focusing on preventive health, holistic wellness and the principle that doctors must learn to heal themselves before they can heal others.
Her vision exemplifies how today’s women of wealth are shifting from traditional philanthropy to creating sustainable systems to fund philanthropic gifts into perpetuity.
A strategic and generous model of giving
This new model of giving is not just generous, it’s strategic. It’s reshaping how ultra-affluent women think about wealth management and legacy.
To facilitate this movement, many are turning to family offices and multifamily offices to help them transform legacy into meaningful impact.
This CFO-type relationship enables women to focus on enabling significant change rather than managing their daily financial complexities.
Women of wealth today expect far more than traditional portfolio oversight. They seek solutions that align wealth with purpose, impact and legacy.
According to HSBC’s 2025 report The Giving Shift, 60% of female respondents said financial giving is extremely or very important, prioritizing causes tied to family, health and community over status or prestige.
This values-based approach underscores how women use wealth to strengthen connections and drive measurable impact.
This evolution extends to how women choose their wealth managers.
A 2024 New York Life survey found that 48% of women feel more understood by a female adviser, up from 29% just five years earlier, and nearly half value collaborative, educational relationships.
They’re not seeking transactions; they’re seeking strategic partners.
How the family office model delivers
The family office model delivers this by providing detailed and timely financial analysis to address all the complexities of multigenerational wealth — tax, estate and philanthropy.
This clarity provides the time and ability for these women to pursue their passions.
Unlike traditional firms with standardized offerings, family offices are designed to be nimble to the complexity of clients’ entire lives.
The timing of this shift is significant, as the Great Wealth Transfer has begun. Bank of America Institute’s Women and Wealth report projected that roughly $54 trillion will pass to surviving spouses, 95% of whom are women.
Concurrently, Deloitte’s Global Family Office Report provides insight that there are more than 8,000 single-family offices worldwide, up from approximately 6,000 in 2019. That figure is projected to increase by 75% or exceed 10,000 by the end of the decade.
A powerful truth
Together, these trends reveal a powerful truth: The next generation of female-led wealth is redefining stewardship. For women, that stewardship often centers on three main pillars:
- Wealth preservation and growth
- Family mission
- Next-generation education
The first priority is the security and growth of wealth throughout future generations with proper entity structure and risk management. The family’s mission channels resources toward philanthropic causes that support family values and beliefs.
Family wealth counseling prepares children and grandchildren not only to inherit wealth, but to continue the stewardship in perpetuity.
Family offices help support these pillars by turning intention into an actionable plan of execution, helping to ensure a successful outcome of the long-term family strategy.
One example includes coordinating a charitable giving strategy with an income tax event in the same year. Within the Great Wealth Transfer, a significant portion of assets will come from qualified retirement plans.
Non-spouse beneficiaries of these plans are required to take mandatory annual distributions and must fully withdraw all assets within 10 years of the original account owner’s passing.
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Because these distributions are taxed as ordinary income, working with a family office that understands your entire financial situation is essential. This coordination enables proactive tax bracket management and the use of charitable deductions to offset income, supporting both tax efficiency and the family’s broader legacy objectives.
Documentation is critical
Another example is the structure and organization a family office provides when navigating complex, multigenerational strategies — particularly those involving estate exemptions and the transfer of assets to the second and third generations.
Many of these plans evolve over decades, making documentation vital. Tools such as our proprietary Family Legacy Book® serve as a central record of gifting history, ownership structures and entity relationships.
This living road map ensures that if the matriarch or patriarch passes unexpectedly, the family retains a clear and current financial picture, providing continuity, confidence and peace of mind.
These examples reflect a broader movement among affluent women leveraging wealth with intentionality.
Increasingly, they recognize that family offices don’t just preserve capital, they simplify complexity, saving them time and allowing them to focus on what truly matters: health, family purpose, personal passions and family legacy.
Beginning with the end in mind
For women of wealth, the takeaway is clear: Building a lasting legacy begins with the end in mind. Rather than chasing returns, they build the management around meeting their targeted objectives, incorporating investments, trusts, philanthropy and education under one coordinated strategy.
A well-run family office makes this possible, serving as the hub that turns intention into successful outcomes.
Start by defining what you want your wealth to accomplish, whether that’s long-term stability, meaningful philanthropy or empowering the next generation with financial confidence. Surround yourself with professionals who listen, educate and collaborate.
True stewardship isn’t about managing assets; it’s about ensuring your wealth continues to advance family values and the future vision across generations.
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This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.
