Our Foundation Exists to Advance Generational Well-Being
Explore Our VideoHelping Families Flourish
Providing families and their advisors with resources and ideas to advance generational well-being.
Across every culture, the same proverb appears in some form: shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations, rice paddies to rice paddies…, clogs to clogs…
Financial capital accumulated with vision and sacrifice dissolves — not from bad investments, but from the collapse of the human bonds and family values that created it.
There is a better way to understand — and preserve — what your family has built.
True family wealth lives in five forms of capital.
Jay’s research shows that families who thrive across generations are those who consciously tend to all five:
01
Human Capital
Individual growth
and potential
02
Intellectual Capital
Knowledge & wisdom passed down
03
Social Capital
Relationships, reputation,
and welcoming
04
Spiritual Capital
Values, purpose & meaning
05
Financial Capital
The resource
When all five are nurtured, money becomes a tool in service of a thriving family, not a source of division, entitlement, or loss.
Jay Hughes spent a lifetime asking, “How do families flourish?”
Not “How do families preserve financial capital?” — but “How do families flourish?”
Through decades of advising multigenerational families around the world, Jay Hughes developed a framework that transformed the field: the Five Capitals. His landmark research gave advisors and families alike a language for what matters most — and a path forward.
“What Jay did so wonderfully was restore the other forms of family capital to prominence — which allows us to focus on more than just the financial aspect and deliver much more holistic advice, frankly positioning the family for much longer-term success”
— David Wells, Founding Contributor
In 2021, the James E. Hughes, Jr. Foundation was created to carry that spirit forward — equipping advisors, researchers, and families with the knowledge, tools, and community needed to build lives of genuine purpose.
A clear path to what your family — and your practice — needs.
Access Jay’s foundational writings, Hidden Gems, Podcasts, Interviews, and other resources — all curated to deepen your understanding of family governance and generational well-being.
Written by a variety of experts. Many of the books we published are offered as complimentary downloads and all of which embrace Jay’s philosophy
Coming Soon: Each month we will host office hours to discuss a topic covered in the Generational Wealth Masterclass — these 25 short videos along with readings are designed to equip family members and advisors with the language, frameworks, and confidence to serve their families at the highest level.
We do not send emails very often, but you can receive our Hidden Gems, book announcements, and other valuable nuggets.
Imagine a family that sees its wealth as its well-being.
Advisors who ground their practice in these principles describe a profound shift: deeper conversations, families that stay together, and rising generations that step into stewardship with purpose rather than entitlement.
5
Capitals that define
lasting family wealth
25+
Published books rooted
in Jay’s research
55+
Years of service to
multigenerational families
Families flourish when advisors are equipped to serve the whole person, the whole family — not just the balance sheet.
The spirit of Jay is meant to be shared. It starts here.
Whether you are a family advisor seeking a richer framework, a family member navigating the weight of inherited financial capital, or an educator committed to this field, the Foundation exists to serve yo
Helping families flourish is work of the heart. We invite you to be part of it.