Farhad Ebrahimi invites us all to reimagine the role of philanthropy—and both the opportunities and power it provides. After being gifted a significant amount of money, he and his sister founded the Chorus Foundation to tackle the global climate crisis.
Reviewing the changes to the Tax Reform law from the lens of tax-efficient giving, it's clear it created some philanthropic winners and losers for the next few years. With the elimination of the phase-out of itemized deductions, donors who itemize can take advantage of the full amount of their charitable gifts, subject to Adjusted Gross Income ...
Charitable giving in the U.S. has grown to record levels in recent years, and donor-advised funds (DAFs) account for nearly 10% of all U.S. charitable giving. Learn why benefits such as tax savings, modest costs, and increased flexibility and convenience can make DAFs an attractive option for those looking to donate.
The wealthy are caught in the high-beam headlights of toxic rhetoric around equity, inequality, greed, power, excessive affluence, and influence of the wealthiest 1 percent. This has become a hot issue in the political environment, where both old media and new social media continue to add data that fuels the growing anger toward, and mistrust of, w...
While many individuals may have the skills and experience for a private staffing position, it’s the chemistry and having a system in place that makes it work for all parties. With this guide that includes job descriptions and requirements, discover the actionable insights and best practices for optimizing your private staff throughout the hiring pr...
Philanthropists from Europe, the United States, Asia, and the Middle East are approaching philanthropy in an innovative way and actively promote their causes. Interviews illustrate how they are trying to make a lasting change in terms of impact on the ground as well as the longevity of their charitable organizations. For many philanthropists, achie...
The passionate generosity of countless American families has inspired extraordinary gifts. What is most remarkable is the very phenomenon of American family philanthropy itself. Indeed, many of these families are known more by their philanthropy than by the business successes that made their largesse possible. Through their philanthropic missions, ...
An influx of assets is a powerful transition point in philanthropy. With rising resources comes the budding potential to do more of what you’re already doing—or, perhaps, trying something new. Either way, additional resources will often provide your foundation with new options for making a difference according to your foundation’s...
Do you have younger family members who are interested in learning more about whether being a family foundation trustee is right for them? Are you looking for a quick and fun way to introduce them to concept of stewardship and the demands and possible challenges of being a foundation board member? Then this 5-minute video is right for you.
Philanthropy is often described as society’s “risk capital.” Our generosity can support causes and ideas that business and government agencies cannot or will not. We can use our resources to inspire new ideas, challenge existing thinking, or continue supporting an organization when others won’t. However, the idea of risk in ...
Just as an individual goes through life cycles, so does a charity. From the start-up phase to adopting a strategic vision to looking at ways to grow the charity, there are many steps to consider at each important phase of the charity’s lifetime. By bringing discipline and focus to your family philanthropy and going beyond just writing checks,...
Recently the IRS released proposed regulations under Chapter 14 of the Internal Revenue Code that would severely limit—if not eliminate—the application of valuation discounts, including lack of marketability and minority discounts, to interests in closely held family entities for gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax purpos...
For many individuals and families of wealth, there comes a time when they decide to engage in philanthropy in a larger, perhaps more strategic manner. This often occurs as their relationship with wealth matures, and they realize they have an opportunity (or perhaps feel an obligation) to go beyond writing checks to worthy organizations and move tow...
Families pursue impact investing for a variety of reasons, including as a way to engage younger family members in the broader philanthropic and investment activities of a family to foster continuity in the stewardship of assets across generations. Before incorporating impact investments into their portfolios, families should define the overall cont...
Travis Roy’s story is well known—in 1995, the rising college hockey star suffered an on-ice injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down after only 11 seconds of his first Boston University game. That tragic accident ended Travis’ hockey career, but it marked the beginning of his decades-long commitment to helping others thro...