Fall is just around the corner, bringing with it a busy season for attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors. Estate planning conversations are picking up, year-end tax planning is beginning to come into focus, and clients may be looking more closely at the assets they own and the charitable goals they hope to accomplish.
The community foundation is honored to be your first call when charitable planning opportunities arise in your work. We’re happy to share ideas to help you start deeper conversations about charitable giving, think through some less familiar assets your clients may own, and stay current on what other advisors and charitable planning professionals are talking about.
Estate planning: Provide the information your clients want
National Estate Planning Awareness Week is coming up in October, and charitable giving has been part of its focus from the very beginning. According to the 2026 TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation, which surveyed high-net-worth clients and wealth advisors, trust and estate attorneys, accountants, and other tax professionals:
- 80% of HNW clients agreed that advisors have an obligation to engage them in conversations about charitable activity.
- 93% of clients who discussed philanthropy with advisors considered the advisor’s role important.
- While 99% were satisfied overall, only 61% reported being very satisfied with charitable planning discussions.
The key takeaway: There’s room to go deeper and we are happy to help.
Reading roundup: What’s worth a skim to stay up to date on charitable planning
We’ve rounded up five recent articles that caught our attention and offer useful insights into where charitable planning is showing up in the financial and estate planning conversations happening right now.
- Tech millionaires are turning to donor-advised funds to save on taxes while giving to charity
- Philanthropic Planning Is Wealth Management’s Next Competitive Frontier, Beyond DAFs
- Donor-Advised Fund Strategies For 2026
- How Advanced Charitable Exit Planning Drives AUM Growth
- Retirees Over 70½ Can Send $111,000 a Year From an IRA to Charity Tax-Free. The Average One Donates From Checking Instead.
Thank you, as always, for the opportunity to work together. Don’t hesitate to reach out to AVP of Development and Donor Services, Marie Lilly, with any questions about charitable planning.
