Charitable Planning

We all have causes we are passionate about to which we donate time, money, goods, or services to charitable organizations that represent them. Giving enriches our lives, gives us purpose outside of careers and daily responsibilities and strengthens our communities. Yet, for all the good that comes with giving, we often forget the other side of the coin - giving as a tax-efficient component of your legacy and financial plan.

At Thomson Investment Group, we offer three ways to structure your charitable giving - Foundations, Donor Advised Funds, and Trusts.

Whether you already have a foundation or seek to start one, there are multiple benefits to using the foundation structure for your charitable planning. Creating a foundation or using an investment manager, like Thomson Investment Group, for your existing foundation allows you to:

• Facilitate organized, systematic, and targeted giving. 
• Expand your giving opportunities in ways not available to individual donors.
• Make charitable donations to your foundation while remaining in control of the assets and their distribution.
• Deduct foundation investment income without tax penalty (in most cases).
• Create consistent giving guidelines.
• Pay family members reasonable compensation to manage foundation affairs.
• Double your capital gains tax benefits.
• Reduce estate tax liability.

A donor advised fund is a charitable investment account that provides a simple, flexible and efficient way to manage your charitable giving. Using DAFs allows you to:

• Realize immediate and maximum tax advantages. 
• Make grants on a flexible timeline.
• Build your charitable legacy.
• Increase your philanthropic funds for grantmaking.
• Contribute via a wide array of assets.
• Give in a cost and time-efficient way.
• Give with recognition or anonymity.

One of the most common misconceptions about trusts is that only the truly wealthy benefit from establishing them. However, there are many reasons and circumstances where trusts can be beneficial, regardless of your income level or net worth. You’ve worked hard for your savings and may wish to leave a lasting legacy. Trusts are frequently used to:

• Provide a framework for investing your assets, by persons you choose, according to standards you set.
• Based on your values, set guidelines for when, how, and why your heirs receive monies.
• Obtain tax benefits.
• Provide an expedient method for transferring assets during both life and death.
• Preserve wealth for future generations.
• Provide meaningful support to charities important to you through donations, grants, scholarships, and endowments.

Charitable planning is a wonderful way to create a lasting legacy while providing tax efficiency and control of your assets. We have worked with multiple generations of families to develop impactful charitable plans.

Let’s Design Your Giving Strategy.