Philanthropic Advisory for Families, Foundations, and Endowments
Empowering Generations and Changing Lives Through Philanthropy
Acumen’s Philanthropic Advisory helps families give in ways that reflect their values and make good use of the tax code and helps foundation and endowment boards manage assets for the long term. Our in-house CPA, a CFP® professional, and Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisors (CTFAs) coordinate with your attorney and CPA so your giving, investment, tax, and estate plans work together.
Family Philanthropy
Through our Philanthropic Advisory service, we help clients identify charitable organizations that align with their values, then structure their giving in a tax-efficient manner. Understanding the available gifting methods serves both the client’s goals and the charity’s financial and tax objectives.
Ways to give
- Charitable gifting during life: Gifts of cash or appreciated securities made while you are alive, so you can see the impact and involve your family.
- Generational gifting: Bringing children and grandchildren into the conversation so giving becomes a shared family value.
- Charitable inclinations at death: Bequests, beneficiary designations, and trust provisions that carry your charitable wishes forward.
- Donor-advised funds: A giving account that lets you make a charitable contribution now and recommend grants to charities over time.
- Estate planning: Charitable trusts such as Charitable Lead Annuity Trusts (CLATs) and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts (CRATs), coordinated with your attorney. See our Active Tax Advisory page for how these fit into a broader tax and estate plan.
Why clients give
- Our charitably inclined clients give for many reasons, including:
- They report greater happiness levels.
- Confidence stems from aligning goals with values.
- Empathy and compassion drives giving to those who are less fortunate.
- Social connections and meeting like-minded individuals.
Foundations and Endowments
Foundations and endowments are the enduring legacies of philanthropic contributions, created to improve the communities they serve. Because they are designed to last, they need a different approach than a personal portfolio. We find inspiration in helping boards fulfill their missions.
Our team works with foundations and their boards to:
- Strengthen investment policies and craft a tailored Investment Policy Statement (IPS).
- Oversee and report on investment performance.
- Work alongside donors to shape meaningful philanthropic gifts.
Foundations and endowments are governed by boards and committees whose membership changes over time yet share one mission: using resources for the greatest positive impact. To stay aligned with your core objectives, we take the time to understand your mission before we recommend anything.
We’d welcome the chance to show how our team can support your mission. Connect with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Additional Services
In addition to charitable strategies, we provide thoughtful financial planning and investment management, tax and business advisory, estate planning, real estate investing, and private asset management services. Rather than just one advisor, each of our clients has their own team of in-house specialists.
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