Like many people, Dawn D. Hallman and Pamela Hancock have been touched by cancer through family members, but they had helped steer their clients toward the American Cancer Society even before that.
The two women, both of whom are estate planning attorneys, have now been awarded the National Advisor of the Year Award by the American Cancer Society for their efforts on raising money through their clients for the organization.
Planned giving is the society’s second-largest source of income for funding research and many programs for cancer victims, after its annual giving program and events. In 2017, financial advisors helped spur more than 4,000 commitments for the society that brought in $135 million.
Hallman, owner of the Hallman & Associates law firm in Norman, Okla., has helped clients contribute $4.4 million to the cancer society through legacy planning. She had been interested in the cancer society, but when her mother got breast cancer “that flipped the switch,” she said. “It became a cause I am passionate about.” Her father-in-law later died of cancer.
Hallman advises high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients on creative estate planning to help clients keep money for their families but still be able to donate to causes they care about, including the American Cancer Society, if they wish.
“It’s all about the ‘ask,’” she said. “Some estate planners are afraid to do that, but I get very involved with my clients. They need an estate planner who is knowledgeable about things like setting up charitable and irrevocable trusts.”
She posts educational information about the American Cancer Society and legacy planning on her website.
Likewise, Pamela Hancock, founder of the Hancock Law Firm, in Jackson, Miss., works to educate clients about the good they can do. She has secured more than $10 million in client legacy gifts for the American Cancer Society. In 2016, she arranged a $2.5 million gift, the largest ever for Mississippi. She also supports Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Relay for Life.
“I was impressed by how lean the American Cancer Society’s operation was years ago, with most of the money going towards programs and not administration,” Hancock said. “I talk with clients about what their goals are. If they do not have someone to leave their money to, I suggest they might want to leave a legacy instead.
“It is rewarding to be able to direct money to the American Cancer Society,” she added. Her father recently passed away from cancer.