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Legacy giving: A conversation that’s full of opportunity

Man & woman walking

August is National Make-A-Will Month. This means your clients may be reading articles and hearing about estate planning more this month than usual, which makes the next few weeks a perfect time to prompt your clients to review their estate plans–or get their wills and trusts in order if they haven’t done so yet. Charitable […]

Proposed legislation: Is better deductibility back on the table?

Table with wine glasses

Charitable deduction legislation ebbs and flows. Proposed reform efforts come and go, resulting in the occasional change to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code governing charitable giving. At the same time, popular charitable giving techniques evolve and grow over time, frequently creating new opportunities for your clients to support the causes they love. For […]

Private foundations and donor-advised funds: Debunking three myths

If you’ve been involved with charitable giving for a few years, you’ve no doubt become familiar with both private foundations and donor-advised funds and their popularity as charitable giving tools. As is often the case with tax and estate planning-related topics, the differences between private foundations and donor-advised funds are sometimes the subject of confusion […]

It’s not luck… It’s because of you and this community!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner and the old sentiment “Luck ‘O The Irish,” I came across an article talking about where success originates.  Is it luck…serendipity…or hard work?  Quite the question to ponder when one looks back on where you’ve been. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the FM […]

Stay the course: Intentional philanthropy is critical in a downturn

Your family may be among those taking their charitable giving budgets more seriously this year, given the stock market’s challenges, rising interest rates, economic concerns, and anticipated cash crunches. At the same time, not surprisingly, community needs tend to rise during uncertain economic times. As 2023 gets into full swing, inflation, housing challenges, and economic […]

How to grow your charitable giving by bundling tax savings

Many donors elect to use a donor- advised fund at the community foundation as an organizing tool, frequently recommending grants to their favorite charities in ways that mirror the ways they would make donations outright. Often, contributions to a donor- advised fund are in the form of highly- appreciated stock or other hard-to-value assets that […]

The community foundation edge: Personal knowledge, QCD eligibility, and public support

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: […]

Donor Advised Funds: Working hard for our community

Donor-advised funds are a popular charitable giving tool. And right now is a perfect time to evaluate this planning strategy for your clients. In recent years, donor-advised funds have been one of the fastest-growing philanthropic planning tools in the marketplace. Donor-advised funds are popular because they allow an individual or family to make a tax-deductible […]