4 Ways to Increase Your Charitable Giving Impact

If you enjoy giving to others and watching them prosper through generosity, it may be time to consider meeting with a financial planner to discuss your long-term goals. Looking ahead to the future and the lasting impact you can make through your charitable giving should be part of your wealth management plan. So, what kind of strategy can you develop to benefit you now and in the years ahead? Here are four ways you can responsibly increase your giving impact while shaping your legacy.

Determine Where You Can Make the Greatest Contribution(s)

You may have many charities in which you support but when it comes to crafting a legacy that makes a lasting impact, you’ll find it is best to narrow down which ones are most important. A meeting with your financial planner about which causes are most important to you will help you determine how you can direct your money toward one or two organizations. This, in turn, will allow you to make larger concentrated gifts instead of several smaller ones.

Allow Your Giving to Be Used in a Flexible Way

Another way to say this is to keep your gifts unrestricted. What this means is that you have the option to give your dollars toward a particular project or endeavor through an organization (restricted), or you can choose to give to their general fund (unrestricted). By choosing to keep your gifts unrestricted, you can make it possible for the charity you’re supporting to do the most good where they see fit and may have the most need.

Make Giving Part of Your Budget

When sitting down with your financial planner to discuss how you can make a bigger impact and positively benefit your short-term and long-term goals, you may be surprised to learn you can increase your giving by simply adding it to your overall budget.

Allowing your financial planner to figure in these funds as part of your long-term financial goals will help you avoid dipping further into your pocket and instead, factor it into your regular budget. Not only will this help you to stay on track with your charitable giving, but you’ll also be less likely to deviate from your financial goals.

Don’t Just Stop at Giving

If you want to see your charitable giving make an even larger impact, don’t stop with just your financial investment. Become a volunteer or assist in vocalizing your support of a particular organization. Whether you do this through social media or word-of-mouth, you can inspire others to give. As your donations work to further the efforts of your charity of choice, others may become inspired by the positive effect it is having locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally.

If you’re looking to build a strategy around your charitable giving but don’t know where to start, talk to a financial planner who can assist in helping you make better decisions while planning for a more impactful future.

About the Author
Taylor Steele, CFP®, CLU®, AIF®, EA* is a Wealth Manager and Managing Partner at Cadent Capital. Taylor obtained both his Certified Financial Planner™ certification and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) marks. He is also an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and Enrolled Agent*. As one of the two second-generation owners, he is part of a team devoted to helping clients build better futures by making better decisions. If you’re ready to let us help you prepare your charitable giving for the future, call us at (972) 777-4991 or visit our website.

*Taylor’s activities as an enrolled agent are independent of Raymond James

Any opinions are those of Taylor Steele are not necessarily those of Raymond James.  Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice.  The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.  Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making a decision and does not constitute a recommendation.  Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.