Professional Advisors

Listening for Charitable Opportunities

We strive to ensure the intent of your client’s giving is fulfilled. Our President/CEO will work with your client to identify their giving style, passions, and desired results. We can help them develop a charitable vision and will highlight community issues, and help you and your client formulate strategies to respond to those needs.

As a financial adviser, your clients expect you to provide sound counsel about the management and investment of their assets. You can also help them by listening for and identifying financial situations when a charitable gift to the community foundation would be in their interest:

• Year-end tax planning identifies a need for greater tax deductions.

• Estate planning recognizes the possibility of significant estate taxes.

• A charitably minded client is uneasy donating the principal of retirement savings.

• Your client is interested in setting up a charitable foundation.

• Your client is passionate about helping meet a specific community need and is ready to make a significant gift.

• Your client wants to establish a scholarship for a particular interest but doesn’t know how to begin.

• Your client owns highly appreciated stock in a company that is about to be acquired.

• Your client currently has a private foundation that may not be distributing minimum grants.

• Your client has most assets tied up in a closely held company.

• Your client has a substantial IRA and 401(k) assets within their estate.

Key Benefits for Your Clients

You can be assured that giving through the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation is suitable for your clients if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions about them:

• Do my clients care deeply about their community?

• Do they give to more than one charitable cause?

• Are they interested in creating a personal or family legacy in their community?

• Would they like to stay personally involved with their charitable gift dollars?

• Do they want to receive the maximum tax benefit for their charitable contribution?

• Are they interested in creating a private foundation but not in the work that goes with it?

• Do they place a priority on the sound financial management of their contributions?

Which Clients May Be Interested in the Community Foundation?

• Your clients can address a broad range of local needs. Arts. Education. Health. The environment. These are just a few areas of community life that your client can specifically address by giving through the community foundation. Every year the Community Foundation makes hundreds of grants to local agencies and programs to address a broad range of needs in our area.

• Your clients’ donations will work forever. When your clients donate through our endowment funds, the principal of their gift is never spent. It is carefully invested, and the earnings are used annually to address specific local causes and issues.

• Your clients can maximize tax benefits. All gifts to the Community Foundation are tax deductible. They also qualify for the Michigan Community Foundations Tax Credit.

• Your clients can create a personal legacy of giving.

Michigan Gateway Community Foundation offers a variety of options for donors to personalize their philanthropy. They may establish a named fund, and they may be involved in suggesting grants from the dollars generated by their funds. They may receive regular communication from the Foundation staff about community needs and initiatives. It’s a personalized and efficient way to give.

General Information Packet (contact MGCF)

This information packet gives you the information you need to assist your client in learning what the Community Foundation is and how we operate. If you or your client has questions, someone is always available to help you. And be assured that all matters you discuss with us are strictly confidential.

Types of Fund Agreements

Fund agreements can be written to create permanently endowed funds, long-term (principal can be spent), or temporary funds. Click below to learn more about the various fund options available.

Investment Philosophy

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation, through the guidance of the Finance Committee & Board of Trustees, selects investments that will provide maximum financial resources for the Foundation, balancing risk and return. Investment objectives consider the Foundation’s financial needs, the committee’s tolerance for risk, inflation expectations, and the Foundation’s liquidity needs.

The primary objective of the Foundation’s investments is to provide for the long-term growth of the principal through capital appreciation, income, donor development, and gifts. Emphasis is placed on maintaining “real” growth of assets, net of inflation, spending, and fees.

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation does not render legal or tax advisory services. The purpose of this website is to provide accurate and authoritative information of a general nature.

Resources

Planned Giving Design Center for Advisors

The Planning Giving Design Center is a national network of professional advisors. Sign up and receive valuable, up-to-the-minute information on the tools and techniques of charitable gift planning.