Advisor Turns Passion into Purpose

David Foster has turned a personal journey into a specialized service. The financial advisor and founder of Gateway Wealth Management says the company was born in 2014 out of his personal interest in philanthropy and “using my excess to help others.” Investigating the financial advisory landscape and failing to pinpoint one with deep expertise in philanthropic planning, he realized he’d found a niche and set about educating himself on all the logistics of philanthropy. This included seeking the advice of YouthBridge.

“YouthBridge has been a very helpful resource in the conversations I have with clients, and I really love that the fees on their donor-advised fund – as inexpensive as I’ve seen – are redistributed into the community,” says Foster. Each day more fluent in the language of philanthropy, Foster is not only able to help his clients develop and execute a charitable giving plan, but also be confident that they are having a meaningful impact on the causes they care about. He has started a podcast to share more about the various charities and causes in the St. Louis area.

While every client is different, Foster says there is a general lack of knowing where to begin among each of them, as well as “imagination” in their overall estate planning. “Many don’t realize what a significant difference they can make, and it’s incredibly rewarding to set a family or business owner on the track to helping others.”