Eight:  Legal Fundamentals Of International Giving

International giving by U.S.-based donors is on the rise. In fact, international giving by U.S.-based foundations has more than tripled over the last decade, from $2.0 billion in 2000 to $6.7 billion in 2009.  Facilitating direct cross border giving comes with its fair share of paperwork. With a guide outlining the legal fundamentals-and a trusted attorney with expertise on the issue-you can help your clients to realize their global giving goals.

Nine:  Due Diligence

Conduct due diligence on the nonprofit organizations your clients wish to support.  Checking tax-exempt status, reviewing organizational audits and budgets and inquiring about conflict of interest policies will give clients confidence that they are funding organizations that are effectively governed, accountable, fiscally responsible and aligned with their core values. Prudent due diligence is especially important as the nonprofit sector grapples with economic fallout, state government funding cuts and the stain of recent high-profile scandals.

Ten:  Philanthropy Resources For Clients

The following are examples of resources that you can introduce to your clients in order to enrich their philanthropic experiences:
    Regional Associations of Grantmakers (RAGs) bring donors together for networking and educational purposes with the goal of improving the quality of life in a particular region. Advisors can find out if there is a RAG in their region by visiting www.givingforum.org.
    Peer Funding Networks provide donors with shared interests the opportunity to fund projects together, to learn grantmaking best practices or to learn more about a particular issue area. For example, the Environmental Grantmakers Association promotes effective environmental philanthropy by sharing knowledge, facilitating collaboration, and catalyzing action on environmental issues.
    There are also national associations such as the Association of Small Foundations which provide donors and their advisors access to the most up-to-date and highest quality information on best philanthropic practices. They host webinars and conferences that allow donors to share their funding experiences with one another and learn about the most recent trends in philanthropy. They also publish useful resource guides on wide-ranging issues from foundation governance to instilling philanthropic interests in children.

More information, tools and resources for supporting the charitable planning conversation can be found in the Charitable Planning Desk Reference for Advisors. The Desk Reference was developed by a team of philanthropic, legal and wealth advisors to help their colleagues seamlessly integrate charitable planning into their broader advisory practices. By doing so, advisors will further solidify their relationships with clients, thereby increasing the potential for new referrals and opening the door to new clients searching for assistance in realizing their philanthropic goals.

Meg Lassar is an analyst with Strategic Philanthropy Ltd., a philanthropic advisory practice based in Chicago serving clients worldwide. The firm works with individuals, families, and closely held and family-owned businesses, helping them plan, assess and manage their charitable giving.

First « 1 2 3 » Next