What Does Your Legacy Really Mean?
When you hear the word legacy, what comes to mind? A name on a building? A foundation created after you’re gone? Or something far simpler — the way you show up every day and the impact you quietly leave behind?
I sat down with Kari Alterman, founder of Good Name Advisors, to explore how each of us can shape our legacy with intention — starting now, not someday. Kari helps individuals and families clarify their values, elevate their giving, and preserve their good name through thoughtful, lasting philanthropy.
What struck me most in our conversation is that legacy isn’t about wealth or waiting until the end of life. It’s about how you treat people, where you choose to give, and how you align your actions with your values today.
My Take
Too many people wait to think about their legacy. They assume it starts with money or ends with a big gesture. Kari reframed this for us: legacy is built moment by moment — through kindness, intention, and generosity that matches who you are. Whether you give $5,000, $50, or just your time, what matters most is purpose and INTENT.
🍃 My Top 5 Highlights from the Conversation
🍃 Legacy is lived, not just left. It’s built through your everyday actions, not just end-of-life gifts.
🍃 Transformational giving isn’t about size — it’s about intent. A $5,000 gift can be life-changing if it’s focused and thoughtful.
🍃 Giving circles create powerful collective impact. Pooling resources with friends or colleagues multiplies reach and deepens learning.
🍃 Values are your compass. When you know what matters most — community, education, justice — giving becomes clear and deeply fulfilling.
🍃 A “good name” is one of your greatest assets. Kindness, integrity, and how you treat people shape how you’re remembered far more than money ever will.
Legacy doesn’t have to be complicated or distant. It can start with one thoughtful conversation, one aligned decision, one intentional gift.
💬 How do you define legacy in your own life? Is it about giving, impact, relationships — or something else entirely?
Kari Alterman is a passionate philanthropic advisor and connector, known for her ability to match people with meaningful causes in ways that bring mutual benefit, purpose, and joy. As the founder of Good Name Advisors, she partners with individuals and families to clarify their values, elevate their giving, and preserve their good name through thoughtful, lasting philanthropy.
Kari brings a unique blend of deep experience, personal warmth, and strategic insight to her work. She spent nearly a decade at the William Davidson Foundation, where she led the Jewish portfolio for eight years before serving as Director of External Affairs and Senior Advisor. Her career also includes leadership roles at the American Jewish Committee (as Detroit Regional Director) and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, where she concluded an 11-year tenure as Director of Leadership Development.
Kari is known not only for her expertise in philanthropy, but for her intuitive ability to read people—what drives them, what excites them—and connect them to organizations and opportunities that align. Her extensive network across the Jewish, philanthropic, and civic landscapes allows her to open doors, make strategic introductions, and guide clients with both insight and care.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Kari holds a BA in History, an MSW, and a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service. She is also a 21/64© Certified Philanthropic Advisor.
In her volunteer life, Kari proudly serves on the boards of OneTable, Boundless Israel, Clover Hill Park Cemetery, and The Zekelman Holocaust Center, where she is also an active second-generation speaker. She is a founding member and former executive committee member of the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, and a past board member of JPRO.
Kari’s work is rooted in the belief that a good name—built through acts of generosity, kindness, and purpose—is the most meaningful legacy we can leave.
Connect with Jon Dwoskin:
Twitter: @jdwoskin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/
Website: https://jondwoskin.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/
Email: jon@jondwoskin.com
Get Jon’s Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!
Connect with Kari Alterman:
Website: www.goodnameadvisors.com
X: https://www.x.com/klalterman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altermankari
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-alterman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kgalterman
