As philanthropy and impact investing take on a more strategic role in how families manage their wealth, and as the great wealth transfer accelerates, family offices are not only adapting but are also beginning to influence how capital is deployed to address social and environmental challenges.
In this regard, the UBS Global Family Office Report 2025 identifies three clear trends in how these high-net-worth entities approach philanthropy: greater professionalization of these services, a stronger role for family offices within philanthropy, and a shift from isolated impact toward integration across the entire family asset portfolio.
According to the report’s conclusions, the family office landscape is not changing in a single direction, nor at the same pace for everyone. Rather, we are seeing a global trend in which different factors point to a shift toward more integrated ways of organizing capital and aligning wealth, business, and philanthropy.
Response of family offices
“For some family offices, this has meant looking beyond mere portfolio construction and thinking more deliberately about alignment between governance structures, investment strategies, and operating businesses. Others are placing greater emphasis on internal coordination, with the family office increasingly acting as the connective tissue between entities, advisors, and decision-makers,” explain UBS.
In their view, in practice this has less to do with adopting a specific ideology and more with responding to increasing complexity through better governance, clearer mandates, and stronger execution.
On the other hand, the report finds that collaboration has become another common theme: “Whether working with peers, co-investors, public institutions, or philanthropic partners, family offices are seeking to operate in more interconnected ways. The ability to convene and contribute within partnerships is becoming just as important as financial expertise.”
In this context, a relevant aspect is the role being played by technology and AI, which are not yet widely integrated into philanthropy or family office governance. “Many firms recognize their longer-term potential, especially for improving transparency, comparability, and insight in increasingly complex structures. Over time, digital capability will likely become an important support for decision-making, alongside judgment and experience,” the report notes as a trend.
According to its conclusions, the family offices best positioned for what lies ahead will be those that combine disciplined execution with openness to new ways of working; those that view alignment, collaboration, and continuous learning as essential capabilities. “For those seeking to manage their wealth with purpose and influence, this moment offers an opportunity: to shape their own legacy and, equally important, the broader systems in which their capital operates,” the report concludes.
