Doing Your Due Diligence

You’re ready to roll into a new year, including staying involved with the charities you love, whether as a donor, volunteer, board member or all of the above. The team at the FM Area Foundation is here to support your charitable endeavors, no matter where your passions lie. Our region is full of charitable organizations […]
It’s a family thing

If you’ve not yet involved your children or grandchildren in your charitable giving, this may be the year to consider it! Children of all ages can benefit from learning even just a little bit about philanthropy and how charities improve the quality of life for everyone. Indeed, many parents and grandparents believe that some level […]
If this, then that: Your charitable planning cheat sheet

At the FM Area Foundation, we’ve recently been asked by attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors for “cheat sheet” resources to make it easy to determine which type of charitable planning tool is best for a particular client. We love that idea! We’re always happy to be a sounding board for any client situation where charitable […]
QCDs: $105,000, $108,000, and more things to smile about

As you and other attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors put the finishing touches on implementing clients’ year-end charitable giving plans, you may have a moment when it hits you: “Wait, how exactly does a Qualified Charitable Distribution work?” That’s a great question, and you are not alone if you’re asking. Even though QCDs are well-covered […]
Estate tax planning: What’s your next move?

As attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, you’re aware of potentially significant upcoming changes to the tax laws that could impact your high net-worth clients. Whether or not a post-election Congress takes action to prevent the estate tax exemption sunset at the end of 2025 will potentially affect how you design your clients’ wealth transfer strategies. During this […]
Into the great unknown

Humans crave certainty, and that is certainly not what we have right now during election season, especially where taxes are concerned. Your clients who support charitable causes may be wondering how the election outcomes might impact their philanthropic plans. You’re probably wondering that, too! Of course, no one has a crystal ball. It is impossible […]
Event tickets: Beware of the split

Many of your philanthropy-minded clients certainly enjoy attending fundraising events for their favorite charities. Especially as community events start ramping up this fall, you’ll want to be aware of a little wrinkle in the IRS rules that may surprise your clients so much that they ask you about it. Here’s how this might go. Client: […]
At a loss for words? Tips for starting a charitable giving conversation

At a loss for words? Tips for starting a charitable giving conversationAttorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors certainly are not strangers to tough questions. Indeed, the mix of money, family, and mortality is a potent combination that almost always creates an emotionally charged planning environment, whether the matter at hand is tax planning, updating wills and […]
Summer topics worth watching

Proposed legislation known as the Charitable Act appears to be gaining momentum. The bill calls for making available a “below the line” deduction to taxpayers who do not itemize on their tax returns. This proposed deduction is slated to reach up to one-third of the standard deduction (around $4,500 for an individual filer and around […]
Ring in the new year with new charitable giving tax laws

If you’ve been tracking federal legislation, you’re likely aware that on December 29, 2022, President Biden signed a $1.65 trillion-dollar omnibus spending bill known as the