Talking About Charitable Giving
Raising the issue of charitable giving with your clients can by deeply rewarding – on both a personal and professional level. Talking about philanthropy can strengthen your client relationships and make a difference in your community at the same time.
But getting comfortable with raising the so-called 'giving question' takes time and effort. That's why Community Foundations of Canada created Professional Advisors eResource: to provide professionals like you with advice and resources about charitable giving.
We're also keen to introduce you to the myriad ways in which community foundations are uniquely positioned to help donors make the most of their charitable gifts, now and forever.
Tips for talking with clients
You'll find a number of good starting points in this section, including:
- The Top 10 Reasons for Discussing Philanthropy
- How to Start the Discussion
- Ways to Talk About Giving
- The Life Stages of Giving
- Research on Charitable Giving in Canada
Professional advisors are in a unique position to support their clients to realize their philanthropic goals by helping to design charitable gifts that can maximize the tax and other financial planning benefits. This site provides an overview of the variety of gift types that can be used by professional advisors to achieve that objective. A relationship with your local community foundation can provide additional support as they can share their knowledge and expertise.
Quick links
The Role of the Professional Advisor [PDF]
The professional advisor plays a singularly important role in helping the client create and realize a personal philanthropic vision.
Good Causes: Keeping Charitable Commitments
Digital Advisors Edge, July 2009. A soft economy notwithstanding, clients want advisors to help them keep charitable commitments.
Touchy Topics
CA Magazine, May 2005 by Monica Patten. Drawing up a will is a good opportunity to look at charitable giving. But not all advisers are comfortable bringing up the subject.