As tax laws and market dynamics continue to shift, it is important for attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors to be aware of two increasingly distinct groups of donors. On one hand, the high federal estate tax exemption and new restrictions on itemizing charitable deductions are creating unique needs for your clients whose assets exceed $30 million. On the other hand…
As you guide clients through ongoing market uncertainty, you may be noticing that conversations are becoming as much about perspective as performance metrics. While headlines may or may not ultimately signal a prolonged downturn…
As you work with clients who have established a private foundation, it is not uncommon for the conversation to eventually turn to whether this structure still makes sense. What began as a seemingly logical vehicle for organizing a family’s philanthropy can, over time, become administratively burdensome, especially as leadership transitions to the next generation.
At YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis, we’re honored to work with hundreds of individuals, families, and businesses who support a wide range of charitable causes. The generosity and commitment across generations and demographics inspire our team every single day. March is an especially … More →
At YouthBridge Community Foundation, we value the role you play in helping individuals and families make the most of their charitable giving. That’s why we’re committed to providing regular updates on legal and policy developments that may impact your clients. In two recent rulings, the … More →
As an attorney, CPA, or financial advisor, you probably work with several clients who own a family business. You’ve likely also considered that there may be a role for strategic philanthropy in family business succession planning to help clients get ready for an eventual exit. … More →
As an attorney, CPA, or financial advisor, you are no stranger to witnessing the ripple effects of life’s unexpected curveballs. If you represent a client over many years, you’re very likely at some point to help the client through a serious illness, a loved one’s death, business challenges, marital dissolution, strained relationships with children, or all of the above.
If your client base includes philanthropic individuals and families, you’re likely aware that gifts of real estate are an option to fund charitable giving. Real estate is the largest asset class in the world, yet various industry sources suggest that only 3% of charitable giving … More →
If you were surprised to read about the ripple effect of a seemingly small change in the U.S. Postal Service regulations late last year, you were not alone! Here’s what you need to know, including potential remedies for your clients whose 2025 charitable deductions may … More →
Well before 2025 made way for 2026, you were no doubt already tracking the various IRS thresholds that are subject to adjustment, as well as the new tax laws’ impact on planning techniques. But have you thought about how each of these thresholds might relate to your clients’ charitable giving?
For many CPAs, estate planning attorneys, and financial advisors, the end of 2025 brought a whirlwind of charitable planning activity among high-earner clients. That’s because many taxpayers wanted to maximize the tax benefits of their charitable donations before…
If you know the basics of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) but have a hard time envisioning exactly what to say and do when they come up in a client conversation, you are not alone! Whether you are an attorney, CPA, or financial advisor, at some point you will find yourself in the middle of a QCD conversation.
As you counsel clients through year-end tax planning, YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis encourages you to remind them that 2025 presents a critical window of opportunity for charitable giving before major provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) take effect on January 1, 2026. The new law could significantly reshape the tax treatment of charitable contributions in ways that may reduce the tax value of gifts made after this year.
Retaining clients is a cornerstone of long-term business success, no matter the profession or industry. As the saying goes, keeping an existing client—and earning additional work from that client—is far easier and more cost-effective than securing a new client. For professionals who work in estate, tax, and financial planning, this principle becomes especially important during one of the most delicate stages of engagement: the period following a client’s death.
The team at YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis is honored to work with attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors to help clients turn generosity into lasting impact. Of course, as you work with your charitable clients, you routinely determine the best way to incorporate philanthropic intentions into wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations. But how frequently do you document clients’ charitable intentions explicitly as part of incapacity planning?
As attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, you’ve no doubt noticed that financial publications’ coverage of donor-advised funds is increasing. This is no surprise, considering that these popular vehicles can help your clients achieve both their financial and philanthropic goals.
Provisions enacted as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are prompting renewed focus on strategies that merge tax efficiency with meaningful community impact. Among the most powerful tools in this space for clients age 70½ and older is the Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD.
If your client base includes business owners, you’re no doubt at least generally aware of the benefits of giving closely-held business interests to charity. Beyond that, though, the details may get fuzzy. The key is to be able to recognize the opportunity so you can reach out to YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis team to help you make the most of it for your client.
For many attorneys, financial advisors, and CPAs, estate planning is part of your client conversations every single month, week, and day of the year. You never hesitate to remind clients to update their wills, trusts, and financial plans as circumstances change in their lives.
We’ve rounded the corner into the fourth quarter! As the calendar year draws to a close, you’re likely well aware that charitable giving is not only important to your clients first and foremost as an act of generosity, but also as a powerful tool in tax planning.