Legacy in Motion | Why We Started This Offering?

“What is my life’s purpose? How do I use my resources and talents to live into my purpose?” In our work with philanthropic families, we’ve noticed a desire for families to engage in meaningful conversations around this topic. It is more than a conversation about wealth preservation—the bigger conversation is grounded in how to use your wealth, talents and community to tap into your purpose.

To date, our advising work has primarily been focused on philanthropy. We recognize that tapping into purpose includes philanthropy, and yet there are so many more avenues to explore. It all connects – a fulfilled, purpose driven individual shows up as a more productive, business leader, family member, community member and philanthropist.

Legacy in Motion was created to address a demand from affluent families who are navigating intergenerational planning, identity development, and values alignment in the context of wealth. This new offering combines Grant Philanthropic Advisors’ expertise in family philanthropy with Megan Oglesby’s background in strategic, economic and community development.

Megan’s own journey underscores why this work matters. At 24, just months after her father’s unexpected passing, she opened an email from a CPA she had never met with a tax bill larger than her annual salary. It was the first moment she realized how much of the family’s financial world had lived in her father’s head and heart alone. That moment of shock turned into a defining one — not because of the money itself, but because of what it revealed: the cost of not learning and growing together as a family while there was still time.

It’s an experience that shaped Megan’s commitment to helping other families approach wealth differently, not as a burden to carry or a set of numbers to manage, but as a shared opportunity to connect, communicate, and align around purpose. Legacy in Motion was born out of that conviction: that every family deserves the tools and space to discover who they are, what they value, and how they want to use their resources to make a lasting difference.

Why Legacy in Motion?

Over the years, we’ve been approached by families facing some of the most difficult challenges that come with great wealth. It’s not just a financial question, but an existential one. “Who are we as a family? What do we stand for? How do we translate our values across generations?  How do we ensure that wealth is used to create a positive impact, not just for our family, but for the communities and causes we care about?”

Legacy in Motion was born out of these very conversations. It’s designed to help families navigate the complex issues of intergenerational family planning, identity development and values alignment, which are challenges that have never been more pressing as we witness the handoff of leadership from one generation to the next inside a family.

Research tells us that people who know their values and are familiar with the family legacy navigate life’s challenges with more resilience. We’ve designed a curriculum to work with multigenerational families to tap into their purpose and define their family legacy in the context of their wealth. Why is this curriculum important?

• It helps families navigate the unique pressures of inheriting wealth.
• It cultivates holistic family resources, including financial, intellectual, and spiritual aspects.
• It empowers families to define purpose independent of their financial resources.
• It strengthens connections and fosters empathy through storytelling.
• It helps the rising generation engage in meaningful conversations about wealth and their impact on their community.

How Does This Tie Into Our Philanthropic Advising?

At the core of our work is the belief that good philanthropy starts with good people. We have always worked with families to help them align their charitable giving with their values. But what we’ve realized is that it’s no longer just about where to give or how to give. It’s about who you are as a family and how your values shape the impact you want to have.

Legacy in Motion extends our approach to philanthropy by focusing on the identity development of the family itself. This offering takes a holistic view of a family and individual’s wellbeing, not just wealth. Financial success can come with complicated emotional, familial and generational dynamics. We believe families who wrestle with questions  about legacy, identity and purpose.

Through Legacy in Motion, we offer tailored retreats, advisory sessions and other tools to help families navigate these complexities. Our goal is to create space for reflection, connection and growth, where families can come together to address tough questions, share their stories, and align on their values for the future. These tools are designed to help families understand the deeper purpose behind their wealth and, ultimately, how to align that purpose with their giving.

Our Hope

The hope for Legacy in Motion is that it becomes a catalyst. A movement that helps families transform wealth from something they manage into something they live. In the coming decade, the goal is for hundreds of families to experience the clarity and connection that comes when purpose leads the conversation, not just strategy or structure. When families understand who they are and what they stand for, they can direct their resources with confidence, generosity, and joy.

Megan’s vision for this work is deeply personal. Her father’s words, shared before every family meal — “Help us to help others” — became her lifelong north star. They continue to guide her approach to community, philanthropy, and leadership. Through Legacy in Motion, Megan hopes to pass along what she has learned and done so that other families and rising generations of wealth inheritors can find meaning and alignment in their own stories. Over time, she envisions a growing network of families who are not only preserving wealth but multiplying their impact, creating ripples of good that reach far beyond their own tables.

About Grant Philanthropic Advisors:
We’re an independent, Charleston-based firm helping clients to focus and maximize their philanthropy—in turn, strengthening the fabric of our communities. Founded in 2019, we help donors move from responsive patterns of giving by assisting clients to identify values and become more strategic in their philanthropy. Our goal is to help donors to become more effective as change-makers.

We work with foundations (large and small staff teams), donor advised fund holders, multi generational families, individuals, philanthropy supporting organizations and corporations to design philanthropic strategies. We work with philanthropies that grant $1 million to $40 million annually.