As a professional advisor, you are in a unique position to help your clients consider philanthropy as part of their overall financial planning or estate planning. Some of the best opportunities to make significant charitable contributions occur when a client is making other major business, personal and financial decisions: writing or revising a will, contemplating the sale of a business or other major asset, planning for retirement, or receiving a financial windfall.

Starting conversations about giving can play an important role in strengthening your client connections. These are just a few of the simple questions that can be used to stimulate a conversation about charitable giving:

• What organizations do you or your family currently support as a volunteer or a donor?
• Would you like to be remembered with a charitable legacy?
• Considering the future of our community, what issues are most important to you?
• Do you have a church, university or other organization that you would like to support in perpetuity?

Manatee Community Foundation often facilitates these conversations together with advisors, acting as a resource for you and your client.

“Our firm has been connected with MCF since the Foundation started. I have found MCF especially creative, flexible, and instrumental to our mutual client’s philanthropic wishes and tax planning opportunities. The team members at MCF are responsive and professional and I would highly recommend their services to others.”

— Lisa Bristow, Principal, CS&L CPAs