As a wealth advisor, one of the biggest honors of my career is getting to help clients plan for the life-changing work of blessing others. How to gift and how to gift well comes up in nearly every client conversation I have, and over the years, I’ve learned that it often takes two things: heart and strategic planning.
Heart Work is Hard Work
This wasn't always my approach. When I first graduated from college, I remember thinking, this is my money. Having a good gifting strategy was the last thing on my mind! Thankfully, through my own faith journey, and the many, many lessons over the years, I've grown to see giving in a different light.
It still isn't always easy. But I've found that the more I give, the easier it gets, because I understand more what giving is really about. It's a chance to invest in someone's life, to show up when it matters, to be part of a difference I may never fully see. And somewhere along the way, I realized giving was doing something for me, too.
For me, giving isn't just about helping the people or places I give to, though that matters deeply. It's also for my own heart. Money can start to take a seat where it was never meant to sit, and giving is one of the ways I keep that in check.
Every Journey Looks Different
It's important to note that everybody's journey with giving looks different. There's no single right way to be generous, and no one benefits from comparing their giving to someone else's.
I also want to be clear that giving generously doesn't mean giving away everything you have. I believe in the importance of being a good steward, and figuring out how much to give is its own kind of journey, one that keeps unfolding as life changes. It's something I'm still walking through myself.
In my experience, that's probably why clients bring these questions to us. They're not looking for a formula, they're looking for whatever's right for them and their family, and I love walking through that with people. Helping clients give thoughtfully, in whatever way fits their life, is exactly what we're here for.
Giving, Made Simple
A generous heart is where it starts, but planned, thoughtful care is what carries it the rest of the way. Most people default to writing a check, and that works, but over the years I've seen a few smarter, more thoughtful ways to be generous, especially if you want your gift to go further.
Appreciated Stock One of my favorite sayings is "Friends don't let friends gift cash." Take appreciated stock, for example. Instead of giving cash, you can gift stock that has grown in value, and in most cases, neither you nor the organization receiving it will owe tax on the gain.
Donor Advised Funds For those who want to build an ongoing giving habit, a donor advised fund is worth a look. It lets you contribute cash or appreciated stock, potentially take a deduction in the year you give, and then decide over time where those dollars go. It can keep growing while it waits to be given away, so your generosity compounds right alongside it.
Business Owners Business owners have an especially powerful option. They can gift shares or portions of their business and create their own gifting fund. When businesses utilize this strategy, they can save quite a bit on taxes and create their own “endowment” that they can use to gift money to 501c(3)s throughout their lifetime. This means they keep more dollars to give away instead of paying more in taxes.
Tuition If you're helping the next generation, paying a grandchild's or child's tuition straight to the school is another way to support your family generously without it counting against gift tax limits.
IRS Required Minimum Distributions One can even gift their IRA Required Minimum Distributions directly to a charity to help the organization, and save on taxes in doing so.
Every family and every situation is different. The right approach depends on your goals, your assets, and what you're hoping to accomplish, and that's exactly where thoughtful care makes all the difference.
Where to Start
If giving is something you've been thinking about, know that you're not alone. It's one of the questions I hear from clients a lot, and one I genuinely love discussing. Whether you're considering your first charitable gift or curious about strategies like a donor advised fund or gifting shares of a business, I would love to help you think it through with the same care and intention. That's the kind of partnership I care about most, not just helping you give, but helping you give well. Reach out to our team, and let's figure out what a giving strategy could look like for you and your family.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as tax, legal, or investment advice. Please consult with your advisor and tax professional before making decisions about charitable giving strategies.