New Business Development Officer

A few months ago, we welcomed Cindy Blake to the YouthBridge Community Foundation team as our Business Development Officer. This month, she shares more about her role, how she can help you, and what philanthropy means to her personally.

At YouthBridge, I serve as a philanthropy advisor to build relationships with wealth advisors, tax accountants, attorneys, and other professional advisors to help them with their clients’ philanthropic goals. When advisors are able to get to the heart of what matters most to their clients, they differentiate themselves from others in the field. They earn a level of trust that can lead to longer, deeper, and even multi-generational relationships.

When advisors are connected to their clients holistically, it’s a win-win. A study from U.S. Trust shows clients want their wealth advisors to ask them about their philanthropic wishes. If you are unsure about how to start that conversation, I can help you find ways to approach the topic.

No-minimum, low-fee donor-advised funds is just one way YouthBridge can help you offer philanthropic wealth management options to your clients. We can also assist with individual estate planning, corporate philanthropy, and private foundation management. “Giving Cards,” a charitable gift card, can be part of a corporate gift program you suggest to your clients or incorporate into your own marketing outreach.

Giving back, even in the smallest ways, has always been part of my life. Although we weren’t wealthy in today’s standards, my father gave a large portion of his check every week to church. My mother donated her time to the business community, school, youth sports, and church, volunteering countless hours of her time and literally baking hundreds of coffee cakes and sweets for bake sales. Working with YouthBridge allows me to continue that legacy, and help others establish their own traditions of giving.