At SignatureFD, we are committed to helping our clients discover and pursue their Net Worthwhile®. As part of that commitment, we partner with clients and their families to explore ways to align their values and passions with their unique resources to connect and give back to the causes they care about. Our SignatureGENEROSITY team, led by Elizabeth Burdette, Director of Giving, has worked with dozens of clients to create their own personalized Generosity Blueprints and create meaningful impact in their communities. One client, in particular, has engaged in an especially inspiring journey of generosity.
When he sold his business in 2022, John Lert knew he wanted to commit a substantial portion of the sales proceeds to philanthropy. He also wanted to involve the next generations of his family in creating a meaningful legacy of generosity for years to come. Working with his advisor Matt Barber and the SignatureGENEROSITY team, John opened a donor-advised fund to receive an allocation of the proceeds in the form of privately held C Corp stock.
By using a donor-advised fund, John captured a charitable tax deduction while also utilizing a giving vehicle that provides his family with flexibility and the opportunity to grow their charitable assets over time as it is invested. The SignatureGENEROSITY team and Matt engaged John and his three adult children in in-person Family Generosity Meeting to create a Family Generosity Agreement and guidelines for both their individual and collective giving from the donor-advised fund.
Each year the family gathers with their SignatureFD team to revisit the Agreement and share highlights of the impact of their generosity across the country on a variety of causes they care deeply about, including autism, STEM education and environmental conservation. Additionally, the SignatureGENEROSITY team provides ongoing support and guidance to the entire family as they explore ways to deploy their charitable assets.
As John shared, “Philanthropy is a completely new journey for me and my family, with its own complexities, and Elizabeth’s advice and support has simply been invaluable. She has provided meaningful input not just to me but also to my adult children and their spouses. We all feel very fortunate to have had the benefit of Elizabeth’s expertise and passion in our efforts to give back in ways that are both fulfilling and impactful.”
**This testimonial is from a current client and may not be representative of all client experiences. No cash or non-cash compensation was provided by SignatureFD for this testimonial.
