Ways
to Talk About Philanthropy with Your Clients
Conversation starters
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"I know you are very supportive of [organization or
program, e.g., the local soup kitchen, your synagogue,
your alma mater] . . . Would you like
to continue your support through your estate plan?"
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"Are you making charitable gifts now that you would
like to continue after your death?"
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"Have you considered what would happen to your assets
if your spouse or children do not survive you? Would you like
any of your assets passed on to a charity, rather than to a distant
relative?"
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Ways to expand your clients' thinking about their legacy
to the next generation
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"Do you think your three children would mind getting
30% of your estate rather than 33⅓% if you decided to give
10% to your favorite charity?"
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"If your children were to write your epitaph, what
would it say about you? Would it match what you would say? What
would you like to tell your children about what really matters
to you?"
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You could use a quote from Warren Buffett: “Parents
should leave children enough money so they would feel they could
do anything but no so much that they could do nothing.”
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Clients
can be hesitant to consider charitable gifts because they are afraid
they will not have enough assets for a secure retirement. You might
discuss how much is needed and open the discussion with the following
sentence:
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"If you're interested, perhaps we could try making
your money work better for you in your retirement while also
providing for organizations that are important to you."
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If
your clients are interested in including
philanthropy in their plans but are unclear about a particular cause, you
might consider this exercise. Give them red and green markers and ask
them to read the Sunday paper, marking anything that concerns or upsets
them in red and anything that makes them happy or excited in green. This
might lead to a good discussion about giving.
You might also ask your client . . .
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"When
you lie awake at night, what do you worry about?"
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“What
values, activities and organizations contributed to your
success? At your funeral, you would like people to say, 'She really cared about . .
.'."
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If
you would like to give your client more technical information on giving,
the Council’s Ways
to Give provides short, client-friendly descriptions
of charitable giving options.
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