Recently, several attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors have shared with us that affluent clients have begun to ask for guidance far beyond traditional estate, tax, and investment matters.

For example, clients are asking their advisors:

• “Is there someone who can help us figure out whether our charitable giving is really making a difference?”
• “Now that we’re retired and have more time to spend in the community, what should we do? Should we join boards of directors? Get more involved in the organizations we support through volunteering? Put more strings on our large charitable gifts?”

If your clients are asking questions like this, please give us a call. The community foundation can help. Indeed, even in an era when a new type of professional–the standalone philanthropy advisor–is emerging, these disciplines are nothing new at the community foundation.

Here are a few of the ways we shine:

• Our team is well-equipped to help your clients structure their philanthropy, design roles for the next generation, develop a grantmaking plan, and evaluate various avenues for how your clients can invest their time and talent, as well as their wealth, to make the community better.
• As the original “philanthropy advisors,” community foundations offer deep insight into regional needs, vetted nonprofit networks, flexible giving structures, and coaching that complements your legal, tax, and financial planning advice.
• Because the community foundation operates day in and day out at the intersection of donors, nonprofits, and civic infrastructure, we understand where impact can be achieved—and where it can’t—better than most external consultants.
• Our staff members know local nonprofits’ strengths, growth trajectories, operational challenges, and, importantly, the people at these nonprofits.
• The community foundation team has years of experience helping donors design effective grants, measure outcomes, and convene collaborations.
• Our team can help establish a structure to achieve your clients’ philanthropy goals while also working with you to align clients’ tax and estate planning goals with that structure. Vehicles include donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds, nonprofit endowment funds, supporting organizations, charitable gift annuities, scholarship funds, estate gifts, unrestricted gifts, or a combination of several.

Please reach out to [email protected] anytime! The Community Foundation team is here to help your clients support their favorite causes and make a positive impact in our community. We are committed to serving as your partner on all aspects of your clients’ charitable giving.