Charity. It’s just a 3-syllable word, but it reaffirms the deeper side of the human heart: its innate desire to sacrifice for love’s sake, its selfless acts of improving the lives of others, its humble expressions of caring and compassion. This is where life ought to begin.
We give away what we hold valuable. We relinquish our right to material gain for the sake of others. We exchange our good fortune for the benefit of the suffering, the hurting, the downcast. We give freely to build, to heal, to conquer.
In his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln referred to that intrinsic drive in each of us to connect and to bond with others: “The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
For some reason charity is woven uniquely and deeply into the fabric of the American soul. Per capita giving in the United States exceeds that of any other nation by a nearly 2 to 1 margin.[1]
While charitable giving is a matter of the heart, developing a prudent strategy will ensure your money and efforts are put to good use. Managing your donations requires foresight and an understanding of how market forces interact with charity. Obtaining sound financial advice can help set you on a steady course.
As the economic landscape becomes increasingly more complex and sometimes harrowing, Americans are finding more effective approaches—such as “high-impact giving”—to guarantee their gifts hit the mark.
Carefully designed financial strategies enable Americans holding those heartfelt passions to integrate their visions of giving and their heart-held values into clearly defined directives that provide them with the assurances that they are making a difference in their communities and in people’s lives.
A financial professional can help you develop a successful and targeted action plan. We designed this special report to help you understand how philanthropic planning can help you build a lasting legacy and have a more pronounced impact with your giving.
[1] http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac/statistics/
