Is Vancity Community Foundation right for your clients?

As a Community Foundation connected to Vancity, we harness and leverage the values, experience and vision of one of Canada’s largest credit unions to support donors who want to make a greater impact with their charitable dollars. Here are just a few reasons why we are the right fit for your clients:

  • Flexibility. Whether your client wishes to establish a Donor Advised Fund with an enduring legacy or make a charitable impact more immediately, we’ll work with them to contribute to the causes they care about, on their timeline.
     
  • Simplicity. Setting up a Donor Advised Fund is simpler than establishing a separate charitable foundation or dealing with individual charities. We take care of all the paperwork and administrative details for your client.
     
  • Experience and Values. We have deep roots working with community organizations and can help donors choose charities or projects to support. We also leverage the experience and expertise of our colleagues at Vancity to find the best fit for a donor’s charitable goals. 
     
  • Ethical investing. Your clients care about how their charitable dollars are invested. Every dollar in our portfolio is screened according to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investing. And we go further by directly investing assets through loans, private equity and other asset classes into non-profit organizations, affordable housing, green businesses and other initiatives – all without sacrificing financial returns.

Why talk about philanthropy with clients in the first place?

Understanding the full picture of your client’s financial concerns, including charitable giving, can deepen your relationship and provide them with a more holistic financial plan. Here are some other reasons to bring up the topic:  

  • Including charitable giving in tax and estate planning conversations can help your clients reduce taxes and protect their wealth.
  • Increasing your own understanding about charitable giving can open the door to other individuals who want to give to charity.
  • In an era where investment management fees are under increased scrutiny, having a philanthropic conversation with your clients adds value to the services you offer.

When should I bring up the topic of charitable giving with my clients?

Studies show that most high net worth individuals expect their professional advisors to bring up the topic of philanthropy during conversations, and respect advisors who demonstrate knowledge about charitable giving. Good opportunities to bring up the topic include:

  • When your clients have no dependents, or children who are financially independent
  • When your client has appreciated securities or secondary real estate
  • At a sale of a business or other major asset
  • During estate planning
  • Readjusting assets after the death of a life partner
  • Retirement planning
  • When your member has an existing relationship with a community organization, or regularly gives to charity
  • At times of financial windfall, such as an inheritance

 

For more information, please contact:

Terran Bell
Manager, Donor Relations
604-877-6584
Terran_Bell@Vancity.com