Our Blog
All that and more: Your donor advised fund may surprise you
You might initially think of a donor advised fund as a simple charitable savings account: contribute assets, immediately receive a tax deduction, if eligible, and recommend grants to your favorite 501(c)(3) nonprofits over time. While that is...
Rare but useful: Planning with charitable lead trusts
“Charitable lead trust” is far from a household word, and you might not run across the need for one very often in your practice. However, they sure do come in handy in certain client situations. At the Wayne County Foundation, we are happy...
Calling it splits: What happens to charitable assets in a divorce?
As you work with charitable clients over the course of your career, you’ll likely help dozens of married couples establish donor advised funds and other types of funds at the Wayne County Foundation, structure charitable gifts in wills and trusts,...
Giving Together, Giving Forward: The Sheridan Family Fund
For Jeff and Tricia Sheridan, generosity has always been part of the rhythm of life. It’s how they were raised, how they have lived, and now, how they are preparing the next generation to lead. Through the establishment of the Sheridan Family Fund at the Wayne County...
Serving charitable clients: Dual strategies emerge
As tax laws and market dynamics continue to shift, attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors need to be aware of two increasingly distinct groups of donors. On one hand, the high federal estate tax exemption and new restrictions on itemizing charitable deductions are...
Case study: Charitable giving in a down market
As you guide clients through ongoing market uncertainty, you may be noticing that conversations are becoming as much about perspective as performance metrics. While headlines may or may not ultimately signal a prolonged downturn, the mere possibility of a bear market...
Transferring a private foundation? Remind clients to communicate
As you work with clients who have established a private foundation, it’s not uncommon for the conversation to eventually turn to whether this structure still makes sense. What began as a seemingly logical vehicle for organizing a family’s philanthropy can, over time,...
Case study: Business owners exit with a family legacy
As an attorney, CPA, or financial advisor, you probably work with several clients who own a family business. You’ve likely also considered that there may be a role for strategic philanthropy in family business succession planning to help clients get ready for an...
Two important tax rulings to keep in mind
At the Wayne County Foundation, we value the role you play in helping individuals and families make the most of their charitable giving. That’s why we’re committed to providing regular updates on legal and policy developments that may impact your clients. In two...