A financial advisor recently told me about a client who made a major charitable commitment. The gift was for a building project. “This was a big gift,” the advisor said. “Shouldn’t there have been a gift agreement?” Read More
Blog
Endowment: A User’s Guide
Endowment is a powerful tool for support of a charity’s mission, but it is often not fully understood by the general public. In this article, we explore the concept from the donor’s perspective. Read More
Getting Started in Philanthropy: A Guide to Giving
New to charitable giving or want to be more effective? Here is a pathway toward the joy of making a difference. Read More
Being a Novice
In a November 2022 interview, Amazon founder and multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos said philanthropy is hard. What do we do when new things are hard? If we’re smart, we ask for help. Read More
Impact Planning with Your IRA
In most cases, all the money in these accounts is tax-deferred. Notice, though, that I did not say tax-free. At some point, income tax will be paid on every dollar — except for any portion that goes to charity. Read More
What We Keep
There was a lot of paper that went right into the shredder. I must admit, though — seeing my career through thirty-plus years of articles, presentations, notes from colleagues, and even old performance appraisals was a bit emotional. What to keep? What is most practical in this chapter of my professional life? What holds significance? It was a time for reflection on a topic we might all consider in this new year. Read More