How to Initiate the Philanthropy Conversation [Part Two]

Your client said yes. Here's what happens next.

In Part One, you asked one question: would you like help putting some structure around your giving? Your client said yes.

The instinct now is to prepare. To brush up on charities, tax structures, foundation rules. Skip all of it. Yes doesn't mean your client wants a philanthropy expert. It means they want to talk about what matters to them, and nobody needs to study for that conversation.

Ask one more question first

Before anything gets scheduled: who should be in the room?

Just them? Them and their spouse? Sometimes the answer surprises you. Giving is rarely one person's decision, and the client who says "actually, my wife drives most of this" just told you something valuable about the family. For some, the honest answer eventually includes the kids. Let the client decide.

Then confirm the conversation however you'd book anything else. Many advisors simply fold it into a meeting already planned.

The conversation itself

Fifteen minutes, guided questions, no right answers. Some of your clients have been giving seriously for decades and have strong views. Some have given generously but never talked about it out loud. The questions work either way, because they're about the client's values, not how much they know about the charitable sector. You ask, you listen, and the structure is carried for you.

What your client walks away with

A Philanthropic Profile: a clear, written picture of what matters to their family. Here's what one looks like.

The profile says what matters to the family. Next, you turn it into a Giving Plan that says what they'll do about it.

This is what getting started looks like. If you want to see the conversation before you run one, we'll show you in 20 minutes. Book a time.