Blog
The Advise Us Foundation blogs about donor-advised funds and other planned strategies and techniques including charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts. We offer this charitable giving information as a resource for donors, professionals, and charities that provide and plan gifts to non-profit organizations.
Engaging Your Donors for Life-Long Giving
In our ongoing effort to help make planned giving more accessible, collaborative and beneficial for charities, we hosted a workshop led by fundraising expert Laura Kaufman. The fourth in our series of free seminars and workshops, Engaging Your Donors for Life-Long Giving, invited Chicago-area nonprofits to learn about strategies and tactics for engaging donors over a long time horizon.
On Capital Hill: Talking About the Fate of the Charitable Deduction
On May 30, 1985, I skipped high school. No, it was not senior skip day, nor did I really desire a break from school. I wanted to travel from Appleton to Oshkosh to see President Reagan speak. He had just introduced his plan on what would eventually become the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and first went to Wisconsin to sell it to the American people. Contrary to my parents wishes, I did hear the speech in person and watched the ensuing process that produced the new tax code. It was something that sparked my interest in learning about taxes and how (and why) they work the way they do.
In law school, my intellectual curiosity about taxes turned towards the charitable deduction and was one of the major factors that drove me to pursue a career in charitable gift planning. I fell in love with the fact that our country effectively allowed citizens to choose where their tax dollars could make a difference. Read more on the blog…
A Window of Opportunity: Donor Advised Fund before December 31?
On December 9th, the markets hit their 13th record close since the November elections. Accompanying the records in the market, we have also seen what feels like a record number of opinions of what the change in administrations will mean for taxes. Some of these opinions have focused on the potential tax changes and their effects on the charities and the charitable deduction. Fidelity Charitable offered what I consider a measured and reasonable framework for the possibilities. It is safe to conclude that there is at least a good likelihood that the benefits of giving in 2016 may be more tax wise than in future years. If you believe that to be true, these next few days may be ideal for starting a donor advised fund.
As 2016 Comes to a Close
Remember to support the nonprofits you love this holiday season and if we are among them, thank you! Help support our work by donating at https://adviseus.org/support-our-work/
Happy Thanksgiving
We hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and many good wishes as we embark on 2017!
Why Giving Tuesday Should Be Part of Your Giving Plan
Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 in a partnership by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation to create an international day of giving during the busy holiday shopping season. Since 2012, Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday) has become a powerful movement supporting giving and creating a culture of philanthropy.