Your clients rely on your guidance to make important financial decisions. When it comes to charitable giving, we can partner with you to simplify their giving and amplify their impact. But don’t just take our word for it. Hear from professionals in the field like Jesse Sitz, Partner at Baird Holm LLP Attorneys at Law.
Sitz represents clients with respect to general corporate matters, estate planning and probate matters, federal and state tax planning issues, and tax-exempt matters—all with an emphasis on tax issues. Jesse received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2005. He earned the designation of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) and was named to the Super Lawyers 2016 Great Plains Rising Stars list. He has also been recognized as a leading attorney by Chambers and Partners for Private Wealth Law since 2017 and for Taxation since 2023.
What are the questions you are most commonly asked as it relates to philanthropy?
Often, our clients inquire about how they can ensure that their donations will best accomplish charitable objectives. Sometimes, a client has a particular organization in mind, but other times, they have only an idea of what they would like to help accomplish—a charitable field of interest–and are looking for a resource to help them determine the best way to make their money work toward that goal.
The Omaha Community Foundation (OCF) has been a valuable resource for those who want to be involved in the process of vetting charities and assisting in finding “under-the-radar” nonprofits doing work that my clients support. Of course, clients are also interested in maximizing their tax deductions, and OCF’s assortment of options helps there as well.
How can advisors prompt clients to include their children or next generations in their charitable giving?
Clients that have charitable wishes often want to pass down those values. Usually, it’s as simple as asking, “This is a very generous gift to charity. Do you want your children/grandchildren to be exposed to giving back to the community as well?” If the answer is yes, we can work with charitable tools that involve input from other family members and foster a sense of philanthropy. Some clients have family meetings where discussions about values, including philanthropy, are important topics of discussion.
For your clients with charitable interests, what makes OCF a good partner to facilitate giving goals?
For me, OCF’s collaborative culture with clients is one of the things that makes it a valuable resource. Whether it’s working on estate planning or setting up a Charitable Checkbook, OCF tailors the method of giving to the desires of the client and takes time to evaluate the right fit. OCF also provides some unique options that many others don’t, such as impact investing through the Community Loan Fund.
I personally appreciate my contacts at OCF and the organization’s dedication and focus to giving to our local communities. It’s essential to a lot of my clients that the money does not go elsewhere and that it’s used for critical community needs.
How have your clients utilized OCF in their plans?
Our clients have used OCF as a partner for lifetime giving and charitable giving at death. OCF is a great resource to assist clients in creating a charitable giving plan that accomplishes what the donor or family wants. OCF advisors also have their pulse on community needs. Frequently, our clients utilize OCF’s donor-advised funds as a tool for charitable giving for them and their families, even after death. DAFs are a powerful and flexible tool. Finally, OCF has assisted some of our “start-up” nonprofit clients who were not ready to stand entirely on their own by providing supportive and back-office services.