Michael Chen

Sold his manufacturing business eight months ago. For the first time he has real capacity and no idea how to give well. Wants to apply the rigour he brought to business. Secular, no modules.

Step 1 — Intake

Partner's name: Lisa Chen

Do you have children? No (He has an adult son, Ethan, born 1999, whom he may involve later. For this plan, the focus is Michael and Lisa.)

Annual Giving Budget: Min 75000 · Max 200000

What brings you here today? (select all):

  • We want to be more intentional about our giving;

  • Going through a life change

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How did you get involved with most of these? (select all):

  • Personal experience;

  • Professional connection

Step 3 — Values Discovery

 

Q1 motivations (rank):

  1. Changing how things work

  2. Caring for those in need

  3. Nurturing what I love

Q2 what shaped you (select): My professional work; Seeing or experiencing a need firsthand at some point; A cause that affected me or someone I love personally

Q4 North Star, impact (select): Address the root causes of problems I care about

Q5 North Star, experience (select): Strategic and well-researched, where I know my money is working

Q6 North Star, scale (select): Go deeper with fewer organizations I trust

Q7 population (rank):

  1. Children and youth

  2. People struggling with addiction or mental health

Q8 geography (rank):

  1. My province or region

  2. Canada

Q9 stage of need (rank):

  1. Helping people build,

  2. Helping people get stable

Q10 proven vs new (slider): toward New and innovative

Q11 gift use (slider): slightly toward Specific projects

Q12 deep vs wide (slider): strongly toward Deep

Q13 timeframe (slider): toward Near-term

Q14 structured (slider): strongly toward Planned

Q15 flexible % (slider): near 10%

Q16 relate to orgs (select): I want regular updates on how my gift is being used; I'd like to be personally connected to the leadership of organizations I support

Q17 faith module? No

Crisis module

Crisis geography (rank):

  1. Anywhere in Canada,

  2. Wherever the need is greatest in the world

Crisis timing (slider): toward Immediate response

Trusted crisis orgs? (select): No, I'd want help identifying the right organizations

Step 4 — Focus Areas (select up to 5, rank) 

  1. Primary: Healthcare

  2. Primary: Education

  3. Secondary: Capacity Building

  4. Secondary: Community Development

(Note: mental health and addiction map to Healthcare in the taxonomy; there is no standalone "mental health" focus area.)

Before the final analysis — Additional context (open box)

Some background. I started and sold a manufacturing company, so I think in terms of strategy, capital, and measurable return. I want to bring that same discipline to giving. Right now my giving is reactive, a pile of galas and cheques that do not add up to anything. Two things are personal: I lost my father to cancer, and I came up the hard way, so opening doors for young people who do not have the same start matters to me. Mental health sits underneath a lot of what I care about. I am comfortable funding something earlier-stage or unproven if the thinking is sound, the way I would back a promising venture. I have one adult son, Ethan. He is not part of this plan yet, but I would like to bring him into it down the road, so a plan that could eventually include him would be a plus. A year from now I want a focused strategy, a real budget, and a way to see whether my giving is actually working.

 

(Continue through Enrichment and the app generates the Plan.)

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