December 09, 2024

Clients Expect You to Bring Up Charitable Giving. Starting The Conversation is Simpler Than You Think

As professional advisors, you excel at navigating complex questions around tax planning, estate documents, and investment strategies. The intersection of money, family, and mortality creates an emotionally charged environment that you handle with expertise every day.

Yet many advisors tell us they hesitate to bring up charitable giving during client meetings. Perhaps you feel you don’t have deep enough technical knowledge about charitable tax planning. Maybe you’re concerned about steering the conversation into unwanted territory. Or maybe you don’t feel you have a good enough grasp of the client’s big picture to truly recognize opportunities for charitable planning that are a win-win for the client’s favorite causes and the client’s tax and financial plan.

What Your Clients Are Thinking

Research consistently shows that clients expect their advisors to bring up charitable giving. There’s often a disconnect between advisors who think they’ve adequately covered philanthropy and clients who feel the topic wasn’t meaningfully addressed. The key is approaching the conversation with genuine interest rather than treating it as a checkbox. We can help.

We’re Your Technical Partners

You don’t need to be an expert in charitable deduction rules, Qualified Charitable Distributions, donor-advised funds, or charitable remainder trusts. While some advisors choose to develop that expertise, many rely on us as their technical backup team. We’re just a phone call or email away when your client’s express interest in charitable planning. Our role is to support you in meeting your clients’ objectives.

Keep It Simple

While there are excellent resources that can help you in discussing charitable giving with your client, we’ve found that even a brief, genuine conversation can be remarkably effective. Here’s a straightforward way to incorporate charitable giving into your client meetings:

“Now that we’ve reviewed your retirement projections, beneficiary designations, and portfolio allocation, let’s touch on charitable giving. Could you tell me about your involvement with community organizations?”

Then listen. Whether they’re actively involved or not, they’ll let you know.

If they express interest in community involvement, you can offer to connect them with our team at The Foundation for Delaware County, or better yet, invite one of our professionals to join your next client meeting. Your role is to bring the right experts to the table to help achieve their charitable goals.

Your Partner in Delaware County

Of course, this sample dialogue is over-simplified for illustration purposes. But truly, it does not need to be much more complicated than that. Next time you meet with a client, give this simple approach a try. You might be surprised at how easy it is, and how much the client appreciates your interest in areas of their lives that go beyond dollars-and-cents transactions and legal documents.

The Foundation for Delaware County is honored to work alongside Delaware County’s professional advisors and their charitable clients. We’re here to help you:

  • Navigate complex charitable giving vehicles
  • Structure tax-efficient giving strategies
  • Connect clients with local giving opportunities
  • Provide complimentary charitable planning consultation

Contact us today to learn how we can support you and your philanthropic clients. We’re always available for questions or to schedule a personal consultation – all at no cost.

Contact Monika Collins at mcollins@delcofoundation.org; 610-744-1015