Planning Your Giving

As with any worthwhile endeavor, thoughtful planning is an important part of your charitable giving. Professional advisors can be valuable guides in helping you plan and execute your giving. They can provide information on your giving options and how these options will work in your specific financial situation. Before sitting down with a professional advisor, you might use the following questions to help you determine how you would like to structure your giving. Your thoughtful responses to these questions will better prepare you for discussions with your advisor, saving you time and money. And they will help you and your advisor develop a charitable giving plan that best reflects your life experiences, values, goals and passions.

Giving questions

In planning your giving, you may wish to consider the following questions:  

• Why are you interested in charitable giving?  

• What would you like to accomplish with your giving?

• What are your passions, values and goals for your giving?

• How would you like to be involved in or manage your giving?

• Do you want to involve others in your giving, either inside or outside your family?
  If so, who?

• Are there time-sensitive tax considerations influencing your giving decision?

• Are you comfortable with a legally binding commitment for a period of time?

• Do you need income from your financial assets now? What are those needs?

• Would you like your charitable giving to be part of your retirement planning? 
  If so, in what way?

• How have you given to charity in the past?