Our Blog
Highs and lows: Reminding clients about stock gifts
As an attorney, CPA, or financial advisor, you’re well aware that your clients are typically better off from a tax perspective if they donate to charity by giving appreciated stock held for more than one year instead of writing a check. That’s...
Split-interest charitable gifts: Need-to-know FAQs
As charitable planning conversations become more sophisticated, many advisors are revisiting so-called “split-interest gifts” to help clients balance philanthropic goals with income needs. Two of the most common strategies, a charitable gift annuity (CGA) and a...
Wake up call: OBBA changes and client conversations
For many attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, the tax law changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are old news. However, that may not be the case for your clients! While you’ve been busy reading dozens of...
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,...