The recent one-year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine conflict and the earthquake that has devastated Turkey and Syria are causing many to explore ways they can help. In an era of abundant giving methods and unfortunately potential fraud, the Community Foundation is a source of reliability and expediency to help your clients act on their charitable instincts.
While there are many viable options for your clients to activate their generosity toward relief efforts, there are also caveats. Although global disaster giving is important, it is also important for clients to stay tuned to the most critical needs right here in our community. Community needs may not result from a disaster, but the impact of ongoing crises including lack of health care and poverty can be damaging over the long term.
How the Community Foundation can help
The Community Foundation can help your clients fulfill their giving instincts by acting as a secure, knowledgeable, and trustworthy facilitator. Our team personally knows, and regularly vets, hundreds of charities each year. We can help you and your clients navigate the options for both local and international giving.
Frequently, a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation will be a suitable giving vehicle for your clients. Our team can help connect your clients to the causes they care about by identifying the most effective organizations addressing the critical needs both locally and globally in your clients’ areas of interest. Working with the Community Foundation also helps your clients secure robust tax planning benefits that can be missed when a client gives to charity on impulse.
Finally, the Community Foundation can help your clients steer clear of scams perpetuated by familiar-looking but sham websites and QR codes, both of which proliferate during highly emotional or threatening times surrounding a disaster. While your clients may be tempted to make a gift online or by phone out of compassion in response to a verbal solicitation or a news story, remind them that the Community Foundation has much to offer—safely, securely and advantageously—when it’s time to make impactful humanitarian gifts both here and abroad.