Consulting and Advisory Services – Helping Your Clients Focus Their Giving
If you would like assistance in helping your clients bring their philanthropic vision to fruition, we can help. The Community Foundation has decades of experience in working with professional advisors to families, individuals, businesses, communities and even other foundations articulate their vision and structure their philanthropy to make their giving most effective.
Philanthropic planning can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Our personal, confidential services are customized to fit your client’s needs and are designed to support you as you help them on their philanthropic journey. We would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about any of the following:
Framing of Charitable Intent
Most donors know they want to make a difference in a general area, but they cannot pinpoint quite how. The discovery and framing of charitable intent is one of our most utilized consulting services. We maintain complete objectivity as we guide you through the process of how to translate your passion into a philanthropic giving program. Through an in-depth exchange focused on your objectives and motivations, we are able to produce articulated, actionable goals that are ready for implementation.
Family Philanthropy Consulting
Families facing decisions about philanthropy often find that a third party advisor can assist in bringing together all members’ and/or generations’ desires and hopes for long-term giving. We have a unique and proven method for helping families merge disparate goals into a unified plan for giving. From years of experience working with donors and grantseekers alike, we know how to facilitate discussion that focuses the diverse interests of family members toward a family philanthropic program that is beneficial to their causes and rewarding to the family.
Custom Investigation and Field of Interest Research
If you would like to probe further into an area of interest, we can assist you with custom research on the state of the issue. Our research may uncover current assets employed in support of that area or reveal the absence of distinct levels of support. In either case, the process can be highly instructive in helping you decide if you might become involved in a particular area of interest.
Strategic Giving and Outcome Assessment
We are able to serve as the coordinator of the most important, interdependent elements of a successful giving plan. Once your charitable intent and strategy are established, we can help you implement appropriate plans for giving. We will work closely with your professional advisors (attorneys, tax accountants or financial advisors) to select the best gift vehicle for achieving your goals, with full consideration of key legal and tax implications.
Grantmaking and Evaluation
Clarifying what you want to accomplish, selecting grantee organizations to implement your goals, maintaining relationships with grantee partners, and learning from what your grants accomplish are crucial to a successful giving plan. With a gift vehicle in place, The Community Foundation is available to work with donors in any and all phases of the grantmaking process from developing a focus for giving to grant evaluation.