As professional advisors, you routinely help clients design estate plans that reflect their most deeply held values. Almost always, “family first” is at the top of the list, and rightly so. Providing for a spouse, children and grandchildren is the foundational goal of most estate plans.
Yet research and experience show that charitable giving is also a core value for many families. Nearly everyone makes charitable gifts during their lives to their church, alma mater or favorite nonprofit. What’s surprising is how few people continue that pattern through their estate. Often, it’s not because they don’t care, but because no one has raised the possibility.
This is where your role as an advisor is pivotal. Your clients are already balancing family and philanthropy – supporting charities while caring for loved ones. You can help them see that the same balance is possible through their estate plan, often with even greater impact.
A simple way to frame the conversation with clients:
- Affirm family priority: “Of course, your estate plan should first provide for your family.”
- Name the value of charity: “But since giving has been important to you in life, you may want to reflect that in your estate as well.”
- Make the connection: “Your estate includes all your assets—home, retirement accounts, life insurance, investments. It’s a much bigger number than annual income. Just as you’ve supported charity with hundreds or thousands during life, you might consider leaving thousands or tens of thousands through your estate.”
- Reassure: “Your family already knows you’re charitable. They’ll understand and even appreciate that your estate reflects the same values you lived by.”
With new tax laws (a product of The One, Big, Beautiful Bill) reshaping charitable deductions, many clients are already asking questions about the timing and structure of their giving. This is a natural opening for you to raise the estate conversation. For some, a simple bequest is sufficient. For others, tax-efficient strategies like IRA beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities or Donor Advised Funds may be appropriate.
By giving your clients the language to connect their charitable intent with their estate planning, you help them create a legacy that balances both family care and community impact.
