Why do you think it’s important to bring up the topic of charitable giving to your clients?
Because it’s rarely just about money. Charitable giving is often where values and wealth intersect, and at Phillips, we believe planning should reflect both. Through Careful Conversations, we go beyond the numbers to understand what really matters to our clients—what legacy they want to leave, what problems they hope to solve, and how they define impact.
We raise the topic of giving not as a financial strategy alone, but as part of building a life and legacy with intention. Using our Play-it-Forward approach, we help clients visualize the ripple effects of their generosity—how their decisions today can shape their family’s values and influence causes they care about for generations.
Giving is also one of the clearest expressions of Shared Purpose. When we align planning with a client’s deeper motivations, something shifts: decisions become easier, confidence grows, and the plan becomes something they’re proud to own—not just something they’re told to do. That’s why we bring up charitable giving early and often—it opens the door to some of the most meaningful conversations we ever get to have.
How do you learn about your client’s charitable interests?
We’re fortunate to work with clients who are incredibly generous and community-minded. Many already have causes they support or want to support—they just don’t always know the best way to go about it. What they often need is clarity and structure: how to give strategically, how to involve their family, and how to make the biggest impact in a tax-efficient way.
It’s rarely a checklist question. We listen deeply during the early stages of our relationship and revisit the topic regularly. A client might casually mention a nonprofit they love or a community issue that weighs on them—that’s where we pause. At Phillips, charitable giving is always part of the financial planning process. We aim to understand each family’s values, what really matters to them, and how that translates into a plan they can act on.
Through our planning process, we create space to regularly review and refine both values and goals. Whether giving is a new idea or a long-standing passion, we help clients understand their options and guide them toward making intentional, impactful choices.
We also bring forward planning strategies that help clients give in the most efficient ways possible. That might include donating appreciated stock to avoid capital gains, making Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs, or coordinating charitable intent through estate plans and beneficiary designations. We also leverage direct indexing—not just for tax-loss harvesting, but to precisely identify and gift the most highly appreciated securities. These tools allow clients to be more strategic, more impactful, and more confident in their giving.
What questions or ideas about charitable giving do you find resonate the most with your clients?
The conversations that resonate most are the ones that unlock a sense of possibility. Many clients are generous by nature, but they hesitate to give more boldly because they’re not sure they “have enough.” When we help them gain clarity—through detailed modeling and planning—that they won’t run out of money, it changes everything. They shift from a mindset of preservation to one of purpose. That moment of realization, when a client sees they have the capacity to make a real difference for their family or community, is often when giving becomes a priority.
We find that questions like, “What do you hope your family remembers about your values?” or “If you knew your financial security was taken care of, how would you want to use the rest?” help guide clients into deeper thinking. These aren’t surface-level questions—they create space for Careful Conversations that go beyond dollars and focus on meaning. It’s not about guilt or obligation—it’s about opportunity.
At the core, clients want to know that their generosity is not only possible but wise. Our role is to provide the clarity and confidence they need to move forward—so that their giving reflects not just what they can do, but who they are.
Why do you work with the Community Foundation?
I choose to work with the Community Foundation rather than a Commercial Charitable institution because the Community Foundation has an abundance of resources: education, awareness, and community connection. I like that using the foundation keeps the money local and employs people here. They meet with clients, educate people, and add value to the professional relationship. For me, it’s the “easy button.”