No doubt, your news feed includes far more articles about philanthropy as a planning tool for your clients than it did just a few years ago. Charitable giving has always been an important subject of client discussions for attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors. What’s changed is that widespread coverage of both major charitable gifts and the ease of making online donations has prompted mor…

If you’re already dreading asking your clients to pull together their receipts and other documents for 2022 tax filings, this may be a good time to take proactive steps to avoid being in this same spot next year.  When it comes to charitable giving, your clients may find that organizing their giving through one or more funds at the community foundation will make their lives easier. Establishing a…

Now is the time to share important reminders with your clients about year-end gifts. Time is indeed of the essence! Gifts of appreciated stock still shine  Giving in a roller coaster market may continue to be a real concern for many of your philanthropic clients, but remember, not all stocks are down. Gifts of appreciated stock to a donor-advised fund or another type of fund at the FM Area Found…

Qualified Charitable Distributions, or “QCDs,” are becoming a very popular financial and charitable planning tool. At the same time, QCDs are growing as the source of more and more confusion. Here are answers to the questions we’ve been asked most frequently this year by both advisors and donors. Be on the lookout for these and other client questions, and please do not hesitate to reach out to th…

Earlier this year, Bankrate and Psych Central released the Money and Mental Health study and, not surprisingly, a large number of people surveyed in the research reported that money has a negative impact on their mental health. Survey results varied across generations: Financial concerns psychologically impact 48 percent of Millennials, 46 percent of Generation X, and 40 percent of Generation Z. N…

During a routine check-in meeting, your client casually mentions that the client’s employer, a local company, was just acquired. The client and dozens of fellow employee shareholders are now flush with cash. “I’d like to use some of the money to give to charity,” the client tells you. “Let’s talk about a family fund at the FM Area Foundation.”  You try not to flinch as you mentally calculate the …

Inflation, interest rates, income tax, and the IRS are ever-present topics during discussions with your clients. Right now, there’s a lot to talk about, especially related to charitable giving.   Let's look at two examples of hot topics that may take a front seat in your client conversations this fall as you are helping your clients consider their options for structuring charitable giving and ph…

Developing a thorough estate plan isn’t important only for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Millennials, who now make up nearly a quarter of the population in the United States, may prove to be more enthusiastic planners than their parents and grandparents, according to the 2022 Estate Planning Study: Millennial Estate Planning Continues in a Pandemic.  What does this mean for planning gifts to charity…

Advisors frequently comment that they’re surprised to discover the many ways the community foundation can help their clients, especially compared with national donor-advised fund programs affiliated with brokerage houses or financial services firms. Here are three examples of the types of comments community foundations have heard over the years from attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors: …

August is national Make a Will Month, and the publicity surrounding this designation may prompt your clients to ask you about whether their affairs are in good order. Of course, making sure a client has established an estate plan and executed corresponding legal documents is a priority for any attorney, accountant, or financial advisor who practices in the field of estate planning, tax, or wealt…