CHARITABLE PLANNING

Gillian Howell

There are different ways to give, and different vehicles that give you a leg up on tax efficiency and legacy.

ANY CLIENTS WHO MOVE INTO CHARITABLE GIVing do so reactively— responding to requests from friends, supporting their alma mater or contributing to causes featured in the news. As their philanthropic interests grow, they then begin to ask more strategic questions: How can I give with more intention? How can I involve my family? How can I maximize the long-term impact of my giving?

As a financial advisor, you are uniquely positioned to guide clients through their giving journey. Whether they’ re new to formalized giving or are seasoned donors seeking to enhance their approach, you can add significant value by introducing structured charitable giving vehicles that align with their financial goals, family dynamics and legacy aspirations. By exploring these options with clients, you can help them increase their charitable impact in a tax-advantaged manner while also helping them strengthen their family ties across generations. This involvement also helps you interact with your clients on a deeper level as you discuss their personal values and interests, expanding your role as their trusted advisor.

Why Structured Giving?

While non-structured“ direct giving” via a personal check or credit card is a simple, fast and flexible way to support charitable causes, it offers limited options for giving creatively, tracking long-term impact and maximizing tax benefits.

Foundations are suited to clients who want to build a multigenerational legacy, run structured programs, or engage deeply in strategy and oversight.

Moving your charitable clients from ad hoc donations to a more deliberate approach can help them:

• Clarify priorities. This means they can determine which causes matter most, now and over time.

• Increase effectiveness. They’ ll be able to budget, track and learn from their giving to maximize charitable impact.

• Create continuity. Such approaches can unite their family in shared decisions about philanthropy.

• Give strategically. They can use structured vehicles separately or in tandem to give in myriad ways. Some vehicles, such as private foundations, enable donors to grant directly to individuals in need( rather than to a charity), run scholarships, or support advocacy. Others streamline simple grant-making.

• Achieve tax efficiency. Structured approaches can give them immediate income tax deductions for future gifts, reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes on appreciated assets, reduce estate taxes, invest assets taxfree, and“ bunch” multiple years of contributions into one year for higher deductions.

One quick first step you can take to help your clients is to look at their last two to three years of giving. Do you see patterns? Are they usually donating to one geographic area? Are they repeatedly supporting certain causes like education or health, or granting to the same few charities? If so, these are clues, something you can use to build a giving strategy and structure.

20 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | MARCH / APRIL 2026 WWW. FA-MAG. COM