There is no place like home! Research signals that charitable individuals tend to assume that gifts to local organizations have a more significant impact. Indeed, proximity increases a client's perception of the correlation between a donation and people being helped. 

Against that backdrop, you'll want to know your client's ties to the local community as you help them craft their charitable giving strategies. If your client has already established a donor-advised fund with us at Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF), you know they understand why it’s become such a popular tool to organize giving and serve as a springboard for so many other ways to make a difference right here in our region. If your client has established a donor-advised fund through a national financial institution, consider letting the client know that TJF offers donor-advised funds, too. In many cases, clients need to learn that this is an option.

Consider that TJF offers your clients the same tax and administrative benefits of a donor-advised fund as a national financial institution, including a simple process for requesting grants to favorite charities, streamlined tax reporting, tax receipts, recordkeeping, and favorable tax-deductibility. 

Unlike standard national financial institutions’ donor-advised funds, though, TJF offers your clients high-level, customized services. These include concierge-level assistance from knowledgeable staff about structuring estate gifts to charities, as well as accepting gifts of appreciated stock or complex assets such as real estate or closely held stock. Plus, TJF's in-house experts have a finger on the pulse of community needs, the strengths of specific nonprofits, and how to structure grant-making for the highest possible community benefit.

What's more, your clients will gain the opportunity to collaborate with other donors who care about similar issues and tap into local and national subject matter experts. The TJF team can help your clients and their families explore specific issue areas more deeply through education and hands-on involvement.

Remember, too, that TJF is a nonprofit, and administrative fees are reinvested to support the infrastructure and services provided to local Jewish nonprofits in the areas of development and administrative support.  TJF also supports the community through unrestricted assets administered through their Community Impact Grants pool.  (click here to learn more.)

If your client has established a donor-advised fund through a national financial institution, we'd love to chat about moving all or some of it to the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. We want your clients' hard-earned assets to receive the attention they deserve and to make a difference in the causes they care about the most.

Naomi Limor Sedek, President & CEO, at 757-965-6109 or nsedek@tjfva.org, or Randy Parrish, Vice President & CFO at 757-965-6104 or rparrish@tjfva.org

The Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) team is a resource and sounding board as you serve your philanthropic clients. We understand the charitable side of the equation and are happy to serve as a secondary source as you manage the primary relationship with your clients. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.