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 Stacie Neussendorfer, Senior Lead Advisor for the Foster Group. Stacie specializes in the needs of affluent individuals, professionals, executives, closely held business owners and philanthropic organizations. Her background as an attorney and certifications as a CFP® professional and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® assist her in guiding clients through financial and estate planning complexities. She is passionate about working with clients to design financial solutions that reflect their values surrounding wealth and the legacy they desire to leave behind.

For your clients with charitable interests, what makes the Omaha Community Foundation a good partner to facilitate giving goals?

The Omaha Community Foundation has been integral in helping educate our community, promoting equity and inclusion, and establishing funds and grants for smaller start-up charitable organizations to better serve people in our community.

OCF makes it easy for me to help my clients give. The Charitable Checkbook® is a great way to introduce clients who want to give but may not have much to start with. OCF’s Donor Advised Fund options couldn’t be easier. It allows us to assist our clients in investing the funds and also in making their gifts. OCF also provides educational support and keeps me informed on any changes in the laws that may impact my clients’ gifting.

What are the questions you are most commonly asked as it relates to philanthropy?

We are so lucky to live in such a generous community. I don’t think most people realize how many of the amenities we enjoy in Omaha are the result of money given and raised by locals  and not the result of spending tax dollars.

Because of this, clients often have questions surrounding philanthropy but are unsure of how to get started beyond just writing a check here and there. When they first become clients of the Foster Group, we give them the book “I Like Giving” by Brad Formsma, which encourages them to find meaning in a life of generosity.

We find this helps open a discussion about the ways to give and often leads into deeper techniques for giving. Of course, there are questions about the tax benefits of giving as well, but those are typically overshadowed by the desire to give.

How can advisors prompt clients to include their children or next generations in their charitable giving?

Several recent studies show that clients want their advisors to discuss charitable giving with them, so the first step is to have that conversation!

I love the idea of teaching the next generation to give and one of the easiest ways is by using a Donor Advised Fund. We have grandparents who are using these to teach their grandchildren by bringing them together and allotting each grandchild an amount to give to a nonprofit of their choice each year. The grandchildren get to spend time with their grandparents and their cousins and learn about different charitable organizations while starting a pattern of giving.

 

 

*https://www.bankofamerica.com/content/documents/philanthropic/Philanthropic_Conversation_Executive%20_Summary.pdf https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/07/19/on-philanthropy-heres-what-clients-want-and-dont-get-from-advisors/

PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE INFORMATION at www.fostergrp.com/disclosures. A copy of our written disclosure Brochure as set forth on Part 2A of Form ADV is available at www.fostergrp.com.