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Gift Planning Services Manager’s Minute

David Bonner

I can’t vouch for whether you would enjoy the rest of the movie, but there is a terrific scene in the 1959 drama, The Young Philadelphians, where an understanding of planned giving strategies provides a competitive edge to a tax and estate planning professional.

The Young Philadelphians (1959) stars a young Paul Newman who plays the part of Tony, a smart and ambitious law student and attorney. Tony applies himself to the careful study of tax and planned giving law and techniques.

Forced by his law firm to work over the Christmas holiday, Tony is on call to counsel the fabulously wealthy Mrs. Allen who needs an amendment to her will. With his specialized gift planning and tax knowledge, he shows her how to avoid paying a great deal of taxes by gifting highly appreciated stock, rather than cash, to her favorite charity. Mrs. Allen rewards Tony for his astute counsel by designating him to manage her finances in lieu of her longtime lawyer. Building upon this opportunity, Tony becomes a highly recognized and respected professional in Philadelphia.

Hopefully, you frequently have opportunities to counsel clients in how they can most effectively benefit their favorite charities while blessing their families through thoughtful tax and estate planning. The technique of gifting highly appreciated assets rather than cash utilized by Tony in the Young Philadelphians is straightforward, but has benefited a myriad of individuals and families for many years.

We urge you to avail yourself of the many resources available to you to stock your quiver of tax and planned giving techniques courtesy of your membership in the Gift Planning Council.

These resources include our website (https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/gift-planning.html) and the many written materials we can quickly make available to you and your clients. Our highly experienced staff is readily available to help address planned giving questions and to provide explanations, calculations, and illustrations all free of charge and in complete confidentiality.

I believe that the greatest resource of all is the opportunity that your participation in the Gift Planning Council provides you to rub shoulders with and compare notes with other like-minded professionals who affiliate with the Council. This opportunity and resource is perhaps best enjoyed as you register for and participate in our annual Gift Planning Council Conference.  Please save the date and plan on joining us in Salt Lake City on November 9-10.

Thank you for your participation with the Gift Planning Council and for the marvelous service you provide your clients.

Contact Us

For a detailed discussion of the services we provide you and your advisors, please contact us at 1-877-650-5377 or by email.