Have you ever thought that the smaller organization you serve can’t raise large major and planned gifts? If so, you’re not alone. Bigger gifts can feel very intimidating because they seem complicated and impossible to tackle. Where do you even begin? I’m here to demystify it and point you in…

The Meaningful Charitable Conversation “All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.” ~Written on George Bailey’s office wall in It’s a Wonderful Life This time of year – like no other time – we hope a little bigger; we feel things more deeply; we remember holidays…

For many years we assumed we knew what motivated people to give. Oh sure, we know it makes us feel good, but when people make BIG gifts isn’t it primarily motivated by financial and tax reasons? The answer is no. Tax benefits are an added bonus, but in the vast…

According to a study by U.S. Trust most high net worth clients say their advisors aren’t good at philanthropic planning. Wow! That’s quite a statement. The study further revealed that clients and advisors have vastly different expectations about how the charitable conversation should go. Most advisors believe they should avoid the conversation…

Women give differently. They invest differently. And now these two are joining forces. If you pay attention to any sort of financial news, you have heard or read something about how women invest differently from men. They tend to take a more patient approach, don’t tend to make snap decisions,…

First impressions can make or break you. You know this if you work with donors or clients. You would be surprised at how fast people form opinions of us. The smallest details of our presence (how we present ourselves) speak volumes about us in the first few seconds of an…

If you work with farmers you know that one of their biggest challenges is what to do with the farm when they want to retire. The children often have careers of their own and don’t want to farm. The land, crops, and equipment are very valuable, but subject to a…

Gertie Schmidt – Company Stock Buys Charitable Life Insurance & Creates a Legacy In 1932, Gerald Schmidt founded his own company – manufacturing dairy farm equipment. Over the years, Gerald’s company kept up with the latest in dairy farm technology and developed many new, innovative products. The company grew and…

Who leaves a lucrative corporate career to dedicate her life to teach charitable gift planning? ME! After two decades working in legal, charitable, and financial planning, I felt a tug on my mind and on my spirit. – a tug towards something new. I looked back at my professional career…