For many donors, the creative use of donor-advised funds at IECF opens the door to a larger charitable impact than they originally thought possible. Here’s how:

Your fund grows and changes alongside your life

Many people do not realize that a donor-advised fund at IECF can help simplify giving during major life transitions. If you are preparing for retirement, selling a business, receiving an inheritance, or navigating a particularly high-income year, your donor-advised fund can provide flexibility in both timing for income tax planning and philanthropic grantmaking decisions. What’s more, during many of these transitions, it may make sense to look beyond cash gifts and explore using appreciated stock, closely held business interests, real estate, and other noncash assets to fund your charitable goals in tax-efficient ways.

Your fund can help you engage the next generation

Some donors are using donor-advised funds at IECF to involve children and grandchildren in family philanthropy. Because grants can be recommended over many years to 501(c)(3) organizations locally and across the country, donor-advised funds create opportunities for ongoing conversations about values, generosity, and community impact across generations.

IECF supports your areas of focus

Working with your local community foundation adds the important elements of flexibility, personalization, and expertise. Unlike national commercial donor-advised fund providers, community foundations combine the administrative advantages of a donor-advised fund with deep local knowledge and personalized philanthropic support. IECF can help identify community needs, connect you with nonprofit organizations of all shapes and sizes, and explore creative strategies tailored to your own charitable interests. IECF is here to help you support your favorite causes, whatever they may be.

The takeaway? Your donor-advised fund at IECF is much more than just a giving account—it is a flexible tool for building a thoughtful, lasting charitable legacy that supports your favorite causes and the community as a whole. Please reach out to our team to expand your impact and enjoy your philanthropy even more! 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post All that and more: Your donor-advised fund may surprise you appeared first on IECF.

All of this is wonderful! There’s one more step, however, that is often overlooked: Connecting the dots. If you are a donor or fund holder at IECF, or plan to establish a fund in the near future, please consider introducing your advisors to the IECF team. A simple introduction can make a tremendous difference in ultimately achieving your charitable goals. Here’s why:

• Attorneys, CPAs, and wealth managers are experts in many aspects of financial and estate planning, and their work is essential in helping you develop and implement strategies through legal documentation, tax filings, and other technical guidance. Not all advisors, however, are experts in charitable giving. 
• IECF, by comparison, brings to the table specialized knowledge about charitable giving strategies, local nonprofit needs, philanthropic tools that may be best suited for your particular situation, and the types of assets you might consider giving to achieve your goals.
• IECF certainly does not offer legal, tax, or financial advice, but we absolutely stay current on legal, tax, and charitable developments. In turn, we can keep you and your advisors informed about which trends to watch. 
• When you establish a fund at IECF as part of your charitable plan, our team will handle the paperwork and administration to create and manage that fund. This is often a relief to your advisors, not to mention a relief to you! 

Importantly, collaborative conversations among donors, advisors, and IECF are not only for ultra-high-net-worth families. Even relatively straightforward charitable plans can benefit from collaboration between your advisors and IECF. In many cases, donors discover giving opportunities they might not otherwise have considered. What’s more, many advisors appreciate having philanthropic specialists available to help explore charitable strategies that benefit both the donor and the causes they care about.

So what can you do? We invite and encourage you to take the lead! A simple email introducing each of your advisors to the IECF team is often all that is required to open the door to better communication and stronger planning. IECF is always happy to join a conversation with you and your advisors, but a baseline introduction is the most critical part.  

When professionals work together, the result is often a more coordinated and impactful charitable plan. By connecting your advisors with IECF, you help create a team that can support both your financial goals and your desire to make a lasting difference. We look forward to hearing from you—and meeting your advisors! Thank you for all you do to make our community a better place. 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post “Nice to meet you”: Introducing your advisors to the IECF team appeared first on IECF.

In the simplest terms, meeting the moment means responding thoughtfully and generously to the needs that matter most today while still keeping long-term community impact in mind. Sometimes that means supporting immediate emergency relief efforts. Other times, it means helping nonprofits today so that they can build long-term solutions that strengthen our community for years to come.

Here are three tips that may help you and your family consider how you can make the biggest difference:

Think broadly about your charitable giving plan

Many fund holders have adopted a “portfolio approach” to their philanthropy, leaning on IECF to serve as a convenient and strategic hub. For example, your charitable giving “portfolio” at IECF might include a donor-advised fund to support your annual and ongoing charitable giving, legacy provisions to ensure that your impact extends across future generations, capacity-building gifts to IECF itself to ensure the growth of philanthropy and impact across our region, and special “field of interest” or “designated funds” to support particular focus areas or specific nonprofit organizations as needs ebb and flow. The combination of multiple fund types and giving structures helps ensure that your dollars make the biggest difference.

Incorporate flexibility as you carry out your charitable giving plan

With the appropriate funds and planning vehicles in place, many donors take the next step to ensure their charitable portfolio allows for flexible funding during times of crisis and transition. Specifically, nonprofits in our community often need unrestricted support so they can respond quickly to changing conditions, invest in staff capacity, and continue serving people effectively even after headlines fade. Donors who understand this can play a powerful role in helping organizations remain resilient and responsive. IECF can help you identify instances where it’s most beneficial simply to provide general support to nonprofit organizations, rather than designating your gift to a specific program or desired outcome.

Consistency is key

Meeting the moment does not mean changing all your charitable priorities overnight, only to revert them back when the moment has passed. There will always be moments of need! Instead, “meeting the moment” means staying informed about current community needs with the help of the IECF team, remaining flexible in the causes you support and the ways you support them, and responding quickly when your philanthropy can create meaningful impact and your community needs it most. Sometimes, even a small adjustment in timing, focus, or funding approach can make a big difference in the lives of people in need.

As always, IECF is here to help. Our team members are deeply connected to local nonprofits and community leaders, which means we are uniquely positioned to identify emerging needs and opportunities for impact. Whether you want to respond to a current challenge, support a specific cause area, or balance immediate needs with long-term charitable goals, IECF can help you structure your overall giving strategy and serve as a sounding board as you carry out your plans.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post A moment to meet: Philanthropy’s crucial role appeared first on IECF.

For some people, philanthropy means supporting a favorite nonprofit year after year. For others, it means volunteering time, responding to urgent needs, or thinking carefully about how to create lasting change. However it shows up, philanthropy is not one-size-fits-all. It’s as unique as the people behind it.

That’s where IECF comes in.

At IECF, we believe that everyone has a philanthropic instinct—it just looks different from person to person. Our role is to help you discover, shape, and act on that instinct in a way that reflects your values, your experiences, and your goals. Whether you already have a clear vision or are just beginning to explore what matters most, we’re here to help you connect the dots.

But how, exactly, does this work? What does it look like in real life to get started with IECF?

Often, the starting point is simply a conversation. Here’s what you can expect during your first meeting with a member of the IECF team.

We’ll review your favorite charities.

Together, we’ll take a look at a list of the charities you already support and review each organization to uncover the reasons you love and support each one. This is a crucial starting point because IECF is here to help you make the most of what you are already doing, and then build on that to discover how you can get even more involved.

We’ll chat about your story.

We enjoy hearing from our donors about the experiences that have shaped their lives. As we begin this part of our conversation, we’ll explore questions that help unlock where your charitable passions may lie and why. What challenges have you or your loved ones faced? What opportunities made a difference for you? Often, the causes we care about most are connected to our own journeys. Reflecting on these moments can help clarify where you feel most motivated to give.

We’ll talk about what’s going on in our community.

Which local issues capture your attention or spark a strong emotional response? It might be something you read in the news, a local initiative you hear about, or a cause a friend supports. These moments are often clues pointing toward what matters most to you. IECF can help provide context for these issues and share information about which organizations are directly addressing the local challenges that top your list.  

We’ll connect with your advisors about structure.

As your charitable purposes come into focus, we would welcome the opportunity to join you for a meeting with your estate planning and tax advisors, or even provide articles you can share with your advisors about charitable giving structures that might help you achieve your goals. Whether your charitable goals are best served via a donor-advised fund, unrestricted fund, legacy gift, IRA beneficiary designation, or anything in between, IECF can help implement your charitable intentions in ways that your advisors recommend are best aligned with the rest of your financial plan. 

As we take these steps together, remember that you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Philanthropy is a journey, not a destination. It’s okay to start small, to ask questions, and to adjust your approach along the way. Whether you’re ready to establish a fund, looking to deepen your involvement, or simply beginning to think about how you want to give back, IECF is here to help. Together, we can turn your love of humanity into meaningful, lasting impact—right here in the community we share.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Step by step, it starts with “love of humanity” appeared first on IECF.

That’s where IECF comes in. No matter where you are on your charitable journey—just getting started, giving consistently, or thinking about long-term legacy—we’re here to help you shape a plan that fits.

Consider a few examples that may feel familiar.

Here, there, and everywhere

Some donors find themselves giving generously but without a clear structure. They support a wide range of causes, say “yes” when needs arise, and genuinely want to make a difference, but may not have a coordinated approach. If that sounds like you, a fund at IECF can help bring everything together. Many donors use a donor-advised fund to organize their giving in one place, making it easier to support favorite organizations while also stepping back to think more strategically about long-term impact. Over time, some donors expand their approach to include additional tools, such as field-of-interest funds or legacy plans, creating a more intentional and lasting charitable “portfolio.”

Results matter

Other donors are highly motivated to give but want to be sure their contributions are making a real difference. If you’ve ever paused before making a gift because you weren’t certain how funds would be used—or wondered how to identify the most effective organizations—you’re not alone. IECF can serve as a trusted partner in these moments, helping you evaluate opportunities, understand community needs, and connect with organizations that are delivering meaningful results. For many donors, this added layer of insight turns hesitation into confidence and leads to deeper engagement over time.

Starting small

Some donors feel strongly about giving but worry that their financial situation limits what they can do. They may already be supporting causes they care about, even in small ways, but assume that more structured or impactful philanthropy is out of reach. In reality, many donors begin with modest contributions and build from there. Establishing a fund at IECF—even with a relatively small initial gift—can provide a simple, organized way to give. And if you are thinking about the future, incorporating a legacy gift into a will, trust, or beneficiary designation can create a lasting impact without affecting current finances.

Already rolling!

Of course, many donors are already deeply engaged. You may be actively involved with nonprofits, serving on boards, or exploring more sophisticated ways to align your charitable giving with your financial and estate plans. In these cases, IECF can help you expand your impact even further—whether through gifts of appreciated assets, multi-generational giving strategies, or long-term endowment planning that supports the community for years to come.

The common thread across all of these examples is that there’s no single starting point—and no single destination. Charitable giving evolves over time, often alongside changes in your life, your family, and your priorities. What matters most is having the flexibility and support to adapt your approach as those changes occur.

That’s exactly what IECF is designed to provide. Whether you’re organizing your giving, exploring new opportunities, or planning for the future, our team is here to help you make the most of your philanthropy in a way that reflects your values and goals.

We’re honored to work with donors at every stage of the journey—and we look forward to continuing the conversation.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post What type of donor are you—spontaneous, results-focused, or deep into it already? appeared first on IECF.

than ever.

Here are three interesting emerging themes:

They don’t need it—or want it.

Sometimes it makes good financial sense for heirs to disclaim inheritances from their parents. This Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) is instructive, noting that heirs can sometimes benefit from refusing an inheritance, allowing assets—especially tax-heavy ones like traditional IRAs—to pass to contingent beneficiaries in a more tax-efficient way. Legal disclaimers provide post-death flexibility for families to adjust estate plans in response to current circumstances, though they must be executed carefully to comply with strict rules.

Strategic giving leads to local giving.

High net worth donors are becoming more intentional and strategic in their charitable giving, focusing on outcomes, alignment with personal values, and long-term impact rather than making purely reactive or broad-based donations. Alongside these changes is a growing preference for supporting local organizations, as donors increasingly want to see the direct effects of their contributions within their own communities.

Hands-on local involvement and proactive planning go hand in hand.

Donors using donor-advised funds are particularly locally focused, as evidenced by volunteering statistics. These donors are significantly more likely to volunteer their time—especially within their own communities—demonstrating deeper, hands-on engagement with the organizations they support. This combination of higher volunteerism and frequent giving suggests that donor-advised fund donors are not only more active philanthropically but also more personally connected to local causes and community impact.

To learn how these trends might apply to your situation, please reach out to IECF! Our team is happy to work with you and your advisors to structure a charitable giving plan—including a donor-advised fund, cause-specific fund, legacy fund, and more—that meets your overall financial and estate planning goals while also ensuring that your wealth can help improve the quality of life in our region for years to come. 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Rethinking legacy: Balancing gifts to heirs with the community’s future appeared first on IECF.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether you’re giving to the “right” organizations, you are not alone. This is where IECF can help.

One of the most valuable roles IECF plays is serving as a trusted, knowledgeable partner in your philanthropy. Our team works closely with nonprofit organizations across the region and maintains a deep understanding of the issues shaping our community. This allows us to provide more than just options—we can offer context. For example, if you’re interested in supporting a particular cause, we can share insight into how that issue is affecting our community right now, which organizations are actively addressing it, and where additional support could make a meaningful difference.

In addition to offering perspective, IECF can also assist with due diligence. While many organizations are doing excellent work, it’s natural to want reassurance that your gifts are being used effectively and in alignment with your intentions. Our team can help review organizations’ missions, programs, and governance practices, and provide guidance based on our experience working with nonprofits of all sizes and focus areas. This can be especially helpful if you are considering supporting an organization that is new to you or responding to a timely or urgent need.

For many donors, this combination of insight and due diligence leads to greater confidence—not just in individual gifts, but in their overall approach to philanthropy.

Just as importantly, working with IECF can help you step back and think more strategically about your giving. Rather than approaching each donation as a separate decision, you may find it helpful to consider how your gifts fit together over time. Are there certain causes you’d like to prioritize? Would you like to balance immediate needs with long-term impact? Are there opportunities to involve your family in the process?

These are the types of conversations IECF is here to support. Whether you prefer to remain hands-on in selecting organizations or would like help narrowing your focus, our team can tailor our approach to fit your preferences and goals.

The result is not a rigid plan, but a more confident and informed path forward.

Philanthropy is personal, and there is no single “right” way to give. But having a trusted partner can make the process feel more manageable—and more meaningful. IECF is honored to work alongside you, helping ensure that your generosity is guided by both your values and a clear understanding of how to make the greatest impact.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Charitable giving, due diligence, and how IECF can help appeared first on IECF.

After the deadline has passed, it’s tempting to move on and not revisit these decisions until later in the year. But the weeks immediately following filing your tax return are actually one of the best times to take a step back and reflect—while the details are still fresh. This is especially important in 2026 because so many tax laws have changed.

If you experienced any surprises this tax season, that’s especially worth discussing. Often, small adjustments made early in the year—rather than in December—can lead to better outcomes both financially and philanthropically. 

Here are common regrets and how IECF can help for the 2026 tax year and beyond. 

Giving cash instead of appreciated assets

Many donors regret using cash or credit cards to make large donations instead of gifting appreciated assets (such as stocks, mutual funds, or real estate) held for more than one year. 

The regret: Selling assets to donate the cash results in paying capital gains tax on the profit.

The better move: By donating the asset directly to your fund at IECF or to another qualified charity, you may be able to avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation and deduct the full fair market value if you itemize. 

Missing out on “bunching” to surpass the standard deduction

The standard deduction was increased under 2017 changes to the tax laws and has stayed high ever since. This can cause missed opportunities for charitable deductions.

The regret: Spreading donations evenly across the years and not exceeding the standard deduction threshold.

The better move: “Bunching” multiple years of donations into a single tax year by using a donor-advised fund at IECF to exceed the standard deduction and claim a tax deduction for that year. 

Pro tip: Planning around tax rules is especially important for 2026 and future tax years because not only is the standard deduction still high, but also charitable deductions are now subject to a 0.5% “floor” and a 35% cap. Be sure to talk with your tax advisors early in the year to structure a plan that will work best for you.

Lack of proper documentation 

Sadly, many donors fail to keep adequate records, leading to potential deductions being disallowed by the IRS. 

The mistake: Failing to get written acknowledgment from the charity for donations over $250, or not having a bank record for smaller cash gifts.

The problem: Without documentation, even genuine donations can be disallowed upon audit. 

Honorable mentions

Beyond the “big three,” donors also report regrets such as:

–Overlooking IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). Taxpayers 70½ or older forget they can directly donate to charity from their IRAs, which can help satisfy RMD obligations without increasing their taxable income. (Note that changes may be coming that could allow you to use QCDs to fund your donor-advised fund at IECF. Currently, QCDs can fund other types of funds at IECF, but not donor-advised funds.)  

–Donating to non-qualified entities. Giving to organizations that are not 501(c)(3) nonprofits, meaning that these donations are not tax-deductible. Working with the experienced team at IECF can help you avoid this pitfall. 

–Overvaluing non-cash donations. Inflating the value of donated goods (such as clothing or used cars) rather than using their fair market value (thrift store value). This could come back to bite you in an audit!

Hoping to avoid tax season remorse next year? Please reach out to the team at IECF. We want to be your first call on all matters of charitable giving. Whether you established a fund at IECF years ago, recently became a fund holder, or are considering doing so this year, we are here for you! 

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Tax season debrief: Three common regrets appeared first on IECF.

That dynamic is especially relevant as many are watching the markets closely this spring. Even the possibility of a downturn can influence financial decisions, including charitable giving. It is natural to feel more cautious. At the same time, history shows that community needs often increase during challenging economic periods—making it all the more important to stay engaged in philanthropy.

As you think about your charitable giving this year, this may be a good moment to step back and consider not only where you give, but also how you structure your giving for long-term impact. In particular, it is important for donors and fund holders to consider expanding their portfolio of giving to include giving to IECF itself.

This can take several forms, each of which plays a meaningful role.

Operating support

Some donors choose to support IECF’s operations across generations. This type of support helps ensure that the foundation can continue serving as a trusted resource—connecting donors to causes, responding to emerging needs, and stewarding charitable funds with care and expertise well into the future. It is an investment not only in today’s giving, but also in the long-term strength of the philanthropic infrastructure in our community.

Support for grant programs

Other donors focus on increasing IECF’s grantmaking resources so that more money can flow from IECF to nonprofits that are helping those in need, especially when times are tough. Contributions to unrestricted or broadly focused funds allow IECF to respond quickly and thoughtfully to the most pressing challenges facing our region. During periods of economic strain, this flexibility can be especially powerful, enabling support to reach the people and organizations that need it most, at the moment it matters most.

A hybrid approach

In many cases, donors adopt a dual strategy—continuing to support favorite organizations directly or through IECF’s grant programs while also allocating a portion of their giving to IECF itself. This approach can help balance personal philanthropic interests with broader community impact, creating a more resilient and adaptable giving strategy.

IECF’s unique role is what makes any or all of these approaches so effective. As a perpetual institution governed by a local board of directors, IECF is designed to serve the community not just today, but across generations. Our team maintains deep knowledge of local needs, works closely with nonprofit partners, and is positioned to deploy resources where they can do the greatest good over time.

Especially in moments when the future feels uncertain, expanding your portfolio of giving in this way can provide an added layer of confidence. You can continue supporting the causes you care about while also strengthening IECF’s ability to lead, respond, and make a difference—now and in the years ahead.

We are honored to work alongside you as you consider how your philanthropy can support both immediate needs and lasting impact for our entire community.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

The post Deepening your impact in times of need appeared first on IECF.

We hear from many generous people who care deeply about their community and fully intend to “do more” with their philanthropy. But life is busy. The calendar fills up. Markets fluctuate. Family and business priorities shift. It can feel easier to wait for the perfect moment—when things feel calmer, clearer, or more certain.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. And it is not a sign of indifference. More often, it reflects uncertainty. You may wonder:

–Am I giving to the right organizations?

–Am I committing too much too soon?

–What if my priorities change?
–What if I want to involve my children later?

When every decision feels permanent, it is natural to pause. IECF can help you shift gears from intention to action. Here are three principles that guide our work with donors in this situation.

Take it one step at a time

One of the most helpful mental shifts is to think of charitable planning as a multi-step process rather than a single, all-or-nothing decision. In many cases, a tax planning need takes precedence because of concrete deadlines and tax year considerations. Our team understands! That’s why we are happy to help you establish a donor-advised fund, for example, to meet an immediate tax planning need. With that time-sensitive box checked, we’ll move on to discussing how you’d like to deploy the fund’s resources, involve family members in the decision-making process, and adjust your giving as your interests evolve.

Keep it simple

Sometimes the hardest part of giving is not generosity—it is decision fatigue.

You might be asking yourself, “Where should I give?” Often, that’s not the best question to ask right out of the gate, especially if you are new to philanthropy. The team at IECF can help you work through key threshold questions including:

–As I look back on my charitable giving, what areas of focus seem to jump out? 

–What specific charities have I supported over the years? 

–Why have I supported those charities?
–Is there anything about my areas of focus that I’d like to change going forward?

As we explore these questions together, our team can provide research on local nonprofits, share insights about community needs, and facilitate family conversations about values and priorities. 

Adopt long-term thinking

Community change does not happen overnight. You may find that your charitable intentions include not only providing annual support to favorite charities, but also making a meaningful difference over many years or even many decades that extend well beyond your lifetime. 

The team at IECF can help you structure not only a donor-advised fund to help organize your annual giving, but also other types of funds and a legacy plan. Many families, for example, complement their donor-advised fund by also establishing a field-of-interest fund to support a particular cause with built-in flexibility as community needs change. Similarly, a designated fund can provide long-term support to specific organizations, and an unrestricted fund allows you to leverage IECF’s deep expertise and perpetual structure to address emerging community priorities for generations to come. You can name one or more of these funds as a beneficiary in your estate plan, whether through a gift in your will or trust or through a beneficiary designation on an IRA.

The bottom line is that IECF is here for you along your entire charitable giving journey. We’ll work together to build and implement your philanthropy plan brick by brick over the years to come, involving your tax advisors and family members at key junctures and always ensuring that your charitable intentions—even as they evolve over time—are fulfilled.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team anytime. Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy – sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at the community foundation is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

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