“We were inspired by our work with the San Diego Foundation’s down payment assistance program a few years ago,” says Rockette Ewell, Vice President, California Region Community Affairs Manager for U.S. Bank, when explaining her company’s decision to invest. “The Inland Empire DPA program brings together resources from both the public and private sectors to support access to homeownership for families who otherwise would not be able to make the dream of owning a home a reality.”

Ewell has spent most of her more than 30 years in banking in community affairs and corporate social responsibility. “At U.S. Bank, I’ve had the privilege of supporting our efforts to create stable jobs, better homes, and more vibrant communities,” she says.

Ewell is quick to recognize U.S. Bank’s long-term relationship with IECF and the fact that Humane Housing is a key element of the Vital Conditions Framework. “We know IECF shares our focus on supporting access to affordable housing and will collaborate with us to ensure that our contribution will have a meaningful impact in the region.”

Ewell applauds IECF’s partnership with NPHS to provide pre-purchase counseling to prospective home buyers as part of the down payment assistance program. “Engaging NPHS completes the circle of support for prospective home buyers,” she says, noting U.S. Bank’s long relationship with NPHS that includes philanthropic support, board service, and volunteer engagement by their bankers.

Additionally, U.S Bank will be the Housing Champion at this year’s IECF Policy and Philanthropy Summit. “While we’ll be one of the presenters, we’ll be surrounded by leaders speaking about topics that will help us keep U.S. Bank at the vanguard of critical issues affecting the Inland Empire and beyond,” Ewell says.

Learn more about how we can make your philanthropic goals a reality – contact our Charitable Giving Department today!

This story originally appeared in our 2024/2025 Annual Report.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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IECF celebrated Elaine Hill at last year’s Professional
Advisors Dinner at the Purple Room in Palm Springs.
From left: Brie Griset Smith, John Schoettler, Elaine Hill, Greg Hough, and Michelle Decker.

The power of example was surely at play when Elaine Hill (left, center) suggested Jane Lykken Hoff consider IECF as a one-stop shop to support the philanthropist’s favorite charities in perpetuity.

Hill served as an IECF Professional Advisor Champion until she retired in December 2023. She partnered with IECF on a personal level as well as supporting clients to create testamentary permanent charitable funds with the Foundation.

The combination of IECF’s longevity and regional focus and potentially Hill’s own personal commitment, won Hoff over as evidenced by the extraordinary $4.5 million gift from her estate.

PAC Champions are recognized for their commitment to the Foundation and the region. To become a Champion, an advisor establishes an endowment or a fund in their own name or in the name of their family or refers a client who then establishes an endowment or fund at Inland Empire Community Foundation. Learn more by visiting iegives.org/advisors/.

Learn more about how we can make your philanthropic goals a reality – contact our Charitable Giving Department today!

This story originally appeared in our 2024/2025 Annual Report.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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Education underpinned every aspect of the fruitful life that Rozlyn “Roz” and her husband, respected Riverside attorney Robert “Bob” Taylor, built together. After he died in 2020, Roz wanted to honor his memory and continue his legacy of helping others access education.

In the mid-1970s, Roz herself had been the beneficiary of a Brouse Scholarship, offered to women pursuing a business degree at Riverside Community College. She met Bob at RCC, and while he proceeded to law school, Roz transferred to UC Riverside, earning a bachelor’s degree in administrative studies. She was the first of her nine siblings to earn a college degree and subsequently enjoyed a 35-year career with the IRS. 

Education was a priority as Roz and Bob raised their four children. He served on several school boards and was known for quietly helping others pursue their educational dreams. He’d write checks to cover cash-strapped students’ expenses, living by his motto of “paying it forward.” 

Upon being referred to IECF, Roz was surprised to discover the scholarship she’d received years earlier came courtesy of Charles Brouse, who coincidentally founded IECF. The serendipitous connection convinced her that establishing a scholarship fund in Bob’s memory was the right path forward. 

Today, the Robert B. Taylor Foundation Scholarship provides support to low-income, underrepresented, or first-generation students at RCC. Illustrative of a life come full circle, it continues the cycle of giving that helped launch Roz’s own education. 

Learn more about how we can make your philanthropic goals a reality – contact our Charitable Giving Department today!

This story originally appeared in our 2024/2025 Annual Report.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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Beth and Ken Higbee

Beth Higbee wanted to do something to honor her parents, Mary Ellen and Thomas R. Brigante, Claremont-based psychologists who lived their lives to the fullest and inspired many others.

Learn more about how we can make your philanthropic goals a reality – contact our Charitable Giving Department today!

This story originally appeared in our 2024/2025 Annual Report.

Stay up-to-date on the good work IECF is doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters.

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If you’ve noticed a surprising uptick in recent years among your younger clients investing in artwork, it is not your imagination! A

As you work with this subset of clients who are also charitably minded, you’ll want to be generally aware of the rules surrounding gifts of artwork to charity. When handled appropriately, artwork donations can provide notable benefits for both your client and favorite causes. The process for these gifts, however, comes with unique complexities, ranging from a client’s emotional attachment to the IRS’s watchful eye on donations involving historically misvalued or fraudulent art gifts.

Here are three ways to approach helping a client leverage an investment in artwork for charitable purposes:

The client donates the artwork directly to a charity for “related use.”

If your client donates art held for more than one year directly to a museum or institution that uses it as part of its mission (for example, displaying the art in public collections or exhibitions), the charitable tax deduction can be based on the fair market value at the time of the gift, which could deliver a significant upside for your client. “Related use” rules are strict. The artwork must enhance or be central to the organization’s mission. Donated pieces valued over $500 require your client to file an IRS Form 8283, and gifts valued over $5,000 also require a qualified appraisal. Note also that if the charity sells the piece within three years of making the gift, the deduction could be retroactively reduced.

The client gives the artwork to a charity for it to sell

If your client gives artwork to a charity that will sell the artwork rather than use it in programming, the deductible amount is limited to the lesser of the fair market value or the client’s original cost basis. While the tax deduction might not be as high as the client would like, the advantage of this route is that it offers flexibility, both related to the recipient organization (such as a donor-advised fund at IECF) as well as the use of the proceeds from the artwork’s sale. Your client still must follow the IRS reporting and appraisal rules. 

The client sells the artwork and then gives the proceeds to charity

This is often an unattractive option from a tax perspective, but it is certainly an option, especially if maximizing a deduction is less critical than avoiding the complexities of gifting artwork. Although the cash gift will be eligible for a charitable tax deduction, the client will incur capital gains tax on the appreciated value of the art, reducing the net financial benefit of the gift.

As with any gift of hard-to-value assets, the best approach for donating artwork is highly dependent on the individual client’s art collection, tax situation, and charitable goals. The IECF team is always happy to serve as a sounding board for charitable gifts of all kinds. Reach out anytime. We are always 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 IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their 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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At Inland Empire Community Foundation, we’re dedicated to helping your clients achieve their charitable goals. We’re honored to serve as your trusted resource for tax-efficient giving strategies, help your clients maximize their charitable impact, and support your clients as they build lasting philanthropic legacies. As you continue (or begin) conversations about charitable giving with your clients, one important question often arises: How would your clients like their giving to be acknowledged and recognized?

Based on each client’s unique goals, the desired level of recognition may vary. While most donors choose to give publicly, there are many situations where donors prefer to give anonymously. As a trusted advisor, it’s essential to understand how anonymous giving might factor into a particular client’s overall philanthropy plan. Of course, IECF is here to help.

Keep an eye out for the following client sentiments:

“We don’t want to get a ton of requests for charitable gifts. It’s overwhelming and it makes us feel bad that we can’t do it all.” 

In today’s challenging economic environment, understandably, nonprofits often increase outreach efforts to ask for support. Through a donor-advised fund at IECF, your client can recommend the extent to which personal information is shared with recipient organizations. In many cases, our team can customize outgoing communications to grantee charities while also ensuring that your clients receive meaningful updates (such as thank you notes, impact reports, and success stories).

“We don’t want our colleagues, friends, and even some of our family members to be able to see how much we give or where we give it.”

Some clients value privacy and choose to keep their giving and financial capacity under the radar. Donor-advised and other fund information remains highly confidential. Unlike private foundations, which require public reporting, donor-advised and other types of funds at IECF can help keep donor identities, grantee identities, and fund balances private.

“We want to make a big difference, but we want to do it without drawing a lot of attention to ourselves.”

For some donors, charitable giving is about honoring a loved one or building a family legacy, rather than personal recognition. These donors may want to make grants in a different name, such as a family name or in memory of someone significant. Working with IECF, whether it’s through a donor-advised or other type of fund, offers your clients a great deal of flexibility in how a family’s gifts will be recognized. Your clients can pick and choose which gifts they want to make public and which they want to keep anonymous. Clients can also make gifts that are publicly announced in honor of family members or using a generic foundation name.

If your clients are considering philanthropic endeavors with any of these goals in mind, IECF is here to help. We collaborate with attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, providing resources and support to ensure your clients can give to their favorite causes with the level of recognition and privacy they desire. We look forward to working with 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 IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their 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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It’s never been easy to navigate the ever-shifting tax rules to help clients structure charitable gifts, and now it’s even trickier. Major changes under the

As always, the team at IECF is honored to be your first call when the topic of charitable giving arises in client conversations. In most cases, IECF’s tools can be useful, and if we can’t help directly, we’ll point you in the right direction.

Here are three key issues to discuss with philanthropic clients:

Evaluate whether the client could benefit from “bunching” charitable contributions in 2025

Many advisors are recommending that their clients address head-on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s expansion of the standard deduction—$15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for married couples in 2025, with even higher levels for taxpayers aged 65 and older. A technique known as “bunching” charitable donations can be particularly useful. For example, if a client typically donates $12,000 each year to charity, but the client’s other deductions do not push them over the standard deduction, the client could give $36,000 (three years’ worth of gifts) to a donor-advised fund at IECF in 2025. The idea is that the client can combine this gift with other deductions to substantially exceed the standard deduction, allowing the client to itemize and claim a much greater deduction for that year. Over the following two years, the client can take the standard deduction and lean on the donor-advised fund to distribute funds to favorite charities. 

Note that the higher standard deduction will likely impact tax-motivated charitable giving, even with the expected uptick in the number of itemizers thanks to the OBBBA’s new state and local tax deduction allowances (subscription required to the Wall Street Journal). 

Look ahead to 2026 as you help clients plan for 2025

For your clients who continue to itemize deductions, 2026 will bring even further changes. Only charitable donations exceeding 0.5% of AGI will be deductible. For example, a couple with $225,000 in AGI would see their deductible charitable amount reduced by $1,125 per year. Although clients who are large-scale donors may find this change proportionately less impactful, clients making moderate or smaller-sized gifts might see a significant reduction in their eligible deductions. What’s more, under the OBBBA, high-income taxpayers will see their maximum tax benefit from charitable deductions calculated at a top marginal rate of 35%, down from 37%, starting in 2026.

These changes may prompt higher-income clients to lean heavily on bunching strategies in 2025 to maximize current tax advantages before stricter limits kick in.

Watch the fine print on the charitable deduction for non-itemizers

Under the OBBBA, starting in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction will be able to claim a direct deduction for charitable giving, up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. This provision mirrors temporary measures seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crucially, the deduction is limited to cash gifts made directly to qualified charities; donations of property or stock, and contributions to donor-advised funds, do not qualify. For the estimated 100 million Americans who do not itemize, which likely includes many of your clients, this provision is certainly good news. That said, gifts of appreciated stock and donor-advised funds are tax-effective and convenient charitable giving vehicles, and many clients may be disappointed that they can’t deploy these techniques to take advantage of this new deduction.

2025 certainly is shaping up to be an important year for helping your clients plan their charitable gifts. Please reach out to our team to explore ways to leverage IECFS’s tools, including establishing your client’s donor-advised fund to take advantage of bunching. And of course, always remember that regardless of the tax implications, your clients’ philanthropy addresses vital community needs, and this is a motivator that transcends any deduction.

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 IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their 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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Don’t you wish you could read your clients’ minds? Understanding what clients really care about is crucial to constructing any estate or financial plan. When it comes to charitable giving, you can be a step ahead. Plenty of research offers clues about what matters most to your philanthropic clients. 

For starters, the numbers show that year after year, people are giving money to U.S. charities–to the tune of $592.50 billion in 2024 alone according to Giving USA. Indeed, most of your clients are probably philanthropic; more than 85% of affluent households give to charities each year. 

Here’s what else they may be thinking: 

“We want to make the world a better place, starting right at home.” 

The importance of a local connection is a common theme throughout various research studies on the motivations for charitable giving. A widely cited peer-reviewed study conducted by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that people are more likely to donate to local charities than distant ones. The team at IECF certainly witnesses this every day as we work with donors to address local needs by supporting charities right here in our community. IECF is honored to be a resource for you and your clients to structure charitable gifts that make the biggest difference. 

“We really enjoy giving to charities.”

Philanthropy is a positive experience for the benefactor, not just the beneficiaries. Research suggests that the benefits are both psychological and physiological. This is in sharp contrast to something clients may view as a mostly negative or stressful experience–updating financial and estate plans. Estate planning forces clients to confront uncomfortable topics such as their own mortality, potential incapacity, and the possibility of family conflict, not to mention the complexity of the planning process, fear of making the wrong decisions, and anxiety about financial security. By infusing charitable giving into the conversation, you’re taking the pressure off the uncomfortable topics and potentially lifting the mood of the entire process. 

“We want to be sure we are making a difference.”

Philanthropists, by definition, seek to create positive social change and are often eager to address complex issues. Indeed, at this moment in time, commentary has suggested that philanthropy may be re-examining its role amid global “polycrises” by considering not just the material resources it provides but also its potential to lead within organizations, across the sector, and in society at large. IECF is uniquely positioned to help your clients expand their philanthropic portfolios to include not only ongoing financial support for charities but also advocacy and structuring unrestricted endowments or other long-term vehicles to support sustained positive change. 

As always, the IECF team stays closely connected with the full range of nonprofits in our region, and that expertise is invaluable to help your clients achieve the impact they’re seeking to address critical community needs. Please reach out anytime! 

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 IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their 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 mindset: What are clients thinking? appeared first on IECF.

As an estate planning, tax, or wealth advisor, you play a critical role in helping your clients maximize the impact of charitable giving while also optimizing tax benefits. Unfortunately, a 2023

IECF can help! Our team is here as a sounding board for everything related to charitable giving. So, when the topic arises and your clients are interested in evaluating strategies for supporting the causes they care about, just loop us in. 

Of course, this still means you’ll be looking for ways to bring up the topic in the first place. One of the easiest ways to do that is to talk with your clients about the benefits of donating highly-appreciated assets, such as stocks or real estate, to a fund at IECF. To help with that conversation, consider discussing the example of Alice, a hypothetical client.

Alice earns more than $500,000 per year. She wants to make a $10,000 gift to IECF’s Community Impact Fund. Alice holds shares of Apple, Inc., which she purchased more than 20 years ago–and the value of the shares has increased significantly. Alice also holds plenty of cash. 

Alice is weighing writing a check to IECF for $10,000 or transferring shares of Apple stock with a total value of $10,000. 

Of course, as an advisor, you know that it’s more advantageous for Alice to give the stock. But it might help to break it down into real numbers when you talk with Alice:

• Alice’s annual income of more than $500,000 lands her at a Federal marginal tax rate of 37% and a Federal long-term capital gains tax rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax). 
• Let’s assume that Alice itemizes her income tax deductions, and that Alice’s cost basis in the $10,000 worth of Apple shares is $2,000. 
• If Alice gives cash to IECF and claims a charitable deduction of $10,000, the resulting Federal tax savings will be $3,700, bringing the net cost of the donation to $6,300.
• On the other hand, if Alice were to donate $10,000 of Apple stock to IECF instead of giving cash, the tax result would be much better because Alice would avoid an unrealized capital gain of $8,000, equating to $1,904 in capital gains tax avoided. 
• The Federal income tax savings of $3,700, plus the $1904 in capital gains tax avoided, results in a net cost to Alice of $4,396 for the $10,000 gift.
• The upshot here is that the gift to charity is $10,000 in either case, but giving cash “costs” Alice $6,300 while giving stock “costs” her just $4396. 

Of course, the benefits of donating highly-appreciated assets to IECF are just the beginning. Charitable conversations with your clients lead to many productive discussions about maximizing lifetime giving, legacy planning, involving the next generation, and so much more. Please reach out to our team anytime! We’re happy to share more ideas and examples of the many ways your clients can make a difference.

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 IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you help your clients build their charitable plans and pursue their 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 Start with numbers: A case study for charitable clients appeared first on IECF.

Your clients still want to give

While overall giving may dip during economic downturns, most of your philanthropic clients will continue to support their favorite charities. Indeed, giving often rebounds quickly alongside economic recovery. Donor-advised funds, in particular, have shown resilience and even growth during economic shocks, providing a stable source of support for nonprofits and a flexible tool for your clients. This support is crucial because economic upheaval often increases community need, which in turn creates more demand for nonprofits’ services. Often, as was the case during the pandemic, donors rise to the occasion. By working with IECF, your clients can stay close to the tangible, local impact of their giving.

Legislation is still percolating

At the moment, key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire at the end of 2025, potentially impacting the charitable strategies you recommend to clients. Notably, though, on February 13, 2025, lawmakers in both the House and Senate introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025, aiming to permanently eliminate the federal estate tax and the federal generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax. Needless to say, if this act becomes law, the landscape of tax planning will change dramatically. On a happy note, under recently-proposed legislation, clients over the age of 70 ½ would be able to make Qualified Charitable Distributions to donor-advised funds at IECF. Under current law, eligible fund recipients of QCDs are limited to designated, field-of-interest, unrestricted, and similar funds.

Focus on the future

Some of your clients may be wondering just how much they can truly accomplish through philanthropy, especially right now. The answer is a lot. Sometimes called “big bet philanthropy,” strategies to leverage charitable dollars to tackle systemic social issues are becoming more popular. “Long-haul” initiatives require sustained commitment, collaboration, and capacity-building among both donors and the nonprofit organizations they support. Thanks to its mission to connect donors to community needs, IECF is in a unique position to work with your clients who want to pursue this form of charitable giving.

Please reach out to the team at IECF anytime. Even during economic upheaval, charitable giving remains a powerful tool for tax planning and durable community impact. Thank you for your continued work to help your clients maximize their positive influence on our community.

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team any time, and 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 IECF 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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