Finding Meaning in Your Giving

You don’t have to look too far to find a headline reminding you that now is the time to make charitable contributions. For many reasons, including taxes, the end of the year is when we typically reach into our wallets and donate.

Last year, U.S. donors gave more than $3 billion on GivingTuesday alone, a record for the day of philanthropy that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. With fundraising power like that, it’s no surprise that GivingTuesday is a key part of nonprofit donor drives at the end of the year.

Of course, giving is not just a one and done. GivingTuesday, which launched in 2012 as a way to encourage people to give back, has spawned a “global generosity movement” that extends well beyond a single day. 

Truly, our hearts are always open to helping—whether it’s at home, next door, or a world away.  I’ve certainly found that to be true in my work.  

Over the past few months, we’ve shared stories about the giving landscape, including how it’s changed since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. From crowdfunding campaigns to personal foundations to socially conscious nonprofits, we’ve highlighted the thoughtful and meaningful ways people are making a difference today. 

In fact, the desire to improve lives is a key reason people give. Research shows we genuinely want to play a part in making the world a better place. 

READ: When Health Care Costs Are High, Medical Angels Offer a Lifeline

For my friend Sharon Martinelli, that meant giving to a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe so a woman faced with medical bills could have some financial peace of mind.

Like Sharon, more and more people are becoming medical angels, and sites like GoFundMe, the largest platform for medical crowdfunding, are making it easier. Many donors, including Sharon, say they feel a bond with the people they are supporting.

Connections—to a person, to an organization, to a cause—play an important part in philanthropy. One of the joys of my work is helping people connect their values and beliefs with their giving.

READ: Laying the Foundation of Giving

In a story about setting up a foundation, we introduced you to a donor we called Ben. Ben’s values have always driven his giving decisions.

By establishing a private foundation, Ben was able to stay in control of his contributions, gain tax advantages, and support causes dear to him, such as education and health care.

Those two areas also figure prominently in Americans’ overall giving. Last year, individuals contributed nearly two-thirds of the $500 billion directed to charity, with education and health landing in the top five categories, according to Giving USA’s annual philanthropy report.

Yet, unfortunately, too often we feel like our donations are not producing the societal change we want and hope to see. 

READ: Democratizing Philanthropy: Enabling Everyone to Be the Change They Want to See

The nonprofit, nonpartisan group RepresentUs is working on a solution. In a guest column, Lauren Bartolozzi, the organization’s vice president of development, wrote that a dysfunctional political system contributes to the problem by incentivizing the wrong things.

But—and it’s an important but—Lauren says we can turn things around by working together for a stronger democracy. We can be the change we want to see in the world. In this season of giving and gratitude, that sounds like just the right message.

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As you review your year-end giving, are your donations where you want them to be?
Do they match your beliefs and values? To help you decide:

Spend a few minutes with our short survey and learn about next steps.

Reach out and send us your contact information to connect and get started.

Democratizing Philanthropy: Enabling Everyone to Be the Change They Want to See

A Note From Lita Reyes

One of my guiding principles is philanthropy that speaks to an individual’s values. To that end, I’d like to introduce you to RepresentUs, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to fixing what’s broken in our political system.

RepresentUs began more than a decade ago with an eye toward fighting political corruption and protecting and strengthening our democracy. Since then, the Massachusetts-based organization has won almost 200 victories in cities and states across the country.

I invited the group’s vice president of development, Lauren Bartolozzi, MPA CAP, to share her thoughts on philanthropy and the work of RepresentUs. I think you’ll find much to think about in this guest commentary.

As the group says, “We’re building the movement for an effective and healthy government, and we’re just getting started.”

We all want to change the world. Truly. When I was a kid, I told my parents I wanted to be a philanthropist. My mom shared this with me recently and said she was surprised I knew what the word meant as she didn’t consider herself one, or even close to ever becoming one. To me, that’s a clear signal that we’ve reserved the word “philanthropy” for only those with perceived wealth and have failed to include much of the current population.

• However, according to the most recent Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy—the gold standard for research on U.S. charitable giving—individuals contributed 64% of the nearly $500 billion directed to charity in 2022. Of that, only 5% was attributed to the mega-gifts. And, of that $500 billion, 64% was directed to charities that most of us care about deeply and see a real need for: religion, human services, education, health.

Unsurprisingly, many of us feel like we’re throwing our charitable dollars into a void and progress is slow or a nonstarter altogether. How can that be? How can nearly $500 billion in one year alone seemingly make no difference?

For me, and many others, the answer is quite simple: We have a dysfunctional political system that incentivizes the wrong things. According to a Princeton University study, it all adds up to the average American having “near-zero impact on public policy.” No wonder Americans across the political spectrum—voters and nonvoters alike—feel powerless. We desperately need to change things.

We need to change things so that the things we really care about—access to health care, a clean and safe environment, affordable education, etc.—can actually get better and we can feel good about the philanthropic investments we’re making.

That’s why I, and so many others, have decided to get to the root of the problem and focus on how our government functions and how we the people can demand a stronger democracy. RepresentUs is working to fix the system by putting country over party, building a movement that reaches beyond politics and helps reshape our culture, and winning transformative new laws in the states to build momentum for national victory.

A new board member at RepresentUs shared his “why” for joining the movement at a recent meeting. He’s experienced an incredible amount of loss in his life and in his family and showed true vulnerability in the face of this. His “why” was that in spite of that loss, and in spite of the grief, he wanted to show up and build a better future for his kids and for humanity. He is choosing to be the change he wants to see in the world, and that’s the best any of us can do. 

Members of RepresentUs are on the front lines of change, fighting corruption and working for a stronger democracy.

Photos credit: RepresentUs

That’s what it’s all about—demonstrating through real, tangible actions that our movement is not just structural reform or election work or protecting our democratic culture. The American Democracy Movement is all of those things together, and when we unite, we’re so much more powerful.

Philanthropy is often described as a “love of humanity.” At the end of the day, we all want to be the change that we want to see in the world. 

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Does your giving match your values? Let’s talk about what’s important to you and how you can make a difference.

When Health Care Costs Are High, Medical Angels Offer a Lifeline

Moments. We live for them. In 2022, as we were slowly reemerging from the sadness and challenges of the coronavirus, I was fortunate to connect with family, friends, clients, and colleagues for some uplifting conversations.

Amid the uncertainty and heartbreak of the pandemic, these moments of hope sustained me as we all navigated our new norms. They also kept me thinking about how to help with the social implications of a worldwide health crisis.

During one of these talks, a colleague asked me about the giving strategy of my clients, given the pandemic and its impact on donors. My answer was straightforward: Most of my clients stayed the course with their strategic giving plans. That’s the beauty of having such plans when inevitable disruptions happen.

For clients with health care priorities, their approach was to lean more heavily to their preferred nonprofits and expand their interest to prospective organizations working on vaccines. Because they already had giving plans in place, they were able to easily adjust to match their priorities and the times. 

Interestingly, I received a text early this year from a dear friend, Sharon Martinelli. Her message was short, sweet, and to the point:

“Hi, I'd really appreciate it if you would share or donate to this GoFundMe. (She included a link.) I have been supporting their monthly deficits for PT for a while and have supported the go fund me as an effort to create a cushion for safety. Let me know what you think.” 

My husband and I didn’t think long. After reading the post, we matched Sharon’s most recent gift the next day. First, we trust her savvy triaging for legitimacy. As a retired accountant, Sharon has tremendous experience in vetting clients and poring over numbers of those with sizable net worth. Second, after reading the GoFundMe post, we learned the recipient suffered from mobility issues. Her fight was for time and expert care to be able to walk.

Health care costs can be staggering in the United States and can unravel the lives of so many. 

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19% of households couldn’t pay for timely medical care according to a 2021 Census study

Did you know, for instance, medical costs are a main factor in personal bankruptcies? A May 2023 Forbes article looked at this critical issue. The report cited a 2021 Census Bureau study that found 19% of households couldn’t pay for timely medical care. That’s almost one in five. Imagine the neighbors in your community. Could one or more be struggling, possibly quietly, with the financial burden of health care costs?

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Forbes also referenced a 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In that report, the federal agency said medical debt was the leading reason debt collectors called on consumers. Statistics and reports like this reinforce why health care is such a priority for giving. 

When Sharon learned that my husband and I had decided to participate in her chosen GoFundMe, she was moved.

“I love you so much for doing that,” she wrote. “Not sure why she’s so deeply in my heart but she is. I’m grateful to you and love your support.”

Of the many gifts we could have given Sharon, this one clearly meant the most to her. There is a connection here, a very direct and personal way of giving—of helping. 

Moments. Of compassion and action.

Today, as you look at your priorities, what difference could you make by giving to an individual who has an immediate health care need?

The World Has Changed - So Has Giving

The world is clearly a different place today. To say the pandemic has changed us all is the ultimate understatement. Still, some things have remained constant–the bonds of friendship and family, the importance of community, and the critical role philanthropy plays in challenging times.

Since the early days of COVID-19, people have opened their hearts and wallets to help those in need. One study of high-net-worth investors showed that the pandemic prompted them to change their giving strategy, with many giving more. In addition, donors cited a personal interest in or connection to a charity or cause as a prime motivation for their giving.

This tracks with what I’ve seen firsthand. For many, giving has never been more important. 

In my work with clients, I hear time and again about the need for positive change. It’s not enough just to give, they tell me. The giving has to be meaningful, purposeful. I agree. And one of the best ways to do that is through a strategic charitable giving plan. It’s basically a blueprint for giving that tracks with your values and vision. 

In the study, over half of the people surveyed said they have a charitable giving strategy, with nearly all agreeing it is part of their overall wealth plan. It’s smart to do, for sure. But it’s also much more. 

I’ve found—and the survey did too—that one of the biggest reasons for charitable giving is pretty simple: People truly want to share their wealth to help others. Giving just feels good. So why miss out on that?

When I partner with clients, we spend a lot of time talking. It’s through conversation—sometimes directed, sometimes not—that we both learn what matters most. Some donors, for instance, are finding that contributing directly to causes through online platforms speaks to them in a way that traditional philanthropy doesn’t. 

Yes, the giving landscape is definitely changing. So whether you’re just starting out or already have a plan in place, it’s especially important to know and understand your options. 

Below are some questions to think about as you develop your giving plan. Take your time. There are no preferred responses. 

This questionnaire is designed to help you. How you use it is up to you. You can submit your answers now for a consultation. Or you can read through the questions and responses, decide what resonates, and jot down notes for a future conversation.

If now is the right time, just click on the circles that correspond to your responses, enter your name and email, and click on the black bar to submit. Our team will reach out to you. 

And remember, these questions are just a beginning. Let me know what else is important to you. After all, we’re starting a conversation here. I look forward to sharing more on these ideas with you in the future.

Let’s consider…

What’s your next step? Not quite ready to dive in? Some alternative suggestions as you contemplate:

Engaging Millennials in Philanthropy

Millennials are one of the two largest demographic groups in the United States, second to Baby Boomers. Since they are having a measurable impact on our marketplace and charitable landscape, a shared understanding of their values and motivations is important to holistic family wealth management. In this 20-minute presentation, Lita brings her research to groups to identify the value of involving Gen Y family members in philanthropic planning. She shares her insights, highlights tools to facilitate comfortable conversations, and demystifies preconceived ideas about this significant group of young adults who are shaping our future.

Please contact us to schedule a presentation.