Charitable Planning
Philanthropic Planning Built Around What Matters to You
Many generous people give the way life happens: a check at year-end, a table at a gala, a gift when a friend asks. Each gift means something, but together they don’t always add up to a strategy. Meanwhile, the bigger questions go unasked. What do you most want your giving to change? Who should be involved? Is there a more effective way to give than writing checks?
Charitable planning at Sunpointe takes those questions in order. We start with your purpose and the legacy you want to leave. Then we help you choose a structure, whether that’s a donor advised fund, a private foundation, or a charitable trust, and carry out your giving with strategies like donating appreciated stock or giving directly from an IRA. We coordinate with your CPA and estate attorney throughout. For families, philanthropy can also become a way to bring generations together around shared values.
You’re Ready to Give More Intentionally
You give generously every year, and you want an approach that reflects your values and fits your broader financial plan.
A Liquidity Event Is Ahead
A business sale or a concentrated stock position has created an opportunity to give more, and you want to think it through before you act.
You Want the Family Involved
You’d like your children or grandchildren to help decide where the family gives, and to learn something about wealth along the way.
Our Four-Step Charitable Planning Process
Thoughtful giving deserves the same discipline as the rest of your financial life. Here’s how we help you turn generosity into a plan you can carry forward for years.
Define Your Purpose
We start with the outcomes you hope to create, the causes that matter most, and the legacy you want your giving to leave.
Choose the Right Structure
We compare options like giving directly, donor advised funds, private foundations, and charitable trusts to find the best fit for your goals and family.
Put Your Plan in Motion
We handle the logistics with you, from gifting appreciated stock or business interests to timing gifts and coordinating with your CPA.
Review and Refine
We revisit your giving plan as your wealth, tax situation, and priorities change, so it keeps reflecting what matters most to you.
Inside Charitable Planning at Sunpointe
Charitable planning touches nearly every part of your financial life, from the assets you give to the taxes you pay and the values you pass on. These are the structures and strategies we help clients consider, always in coordination with your CPA and estate attorney.
A donor advised fund lets you set aside charitable dollars now and recommend grants over time, usually with less administration than a foundation. We help you set up and manage the fund.
A private foundation gives families more control and a lasting philanthropic institution. We help manage existing foundations, including their investments, and coordinate with the foundation’s other advisors.
A charitable trust can combine giving with income for you or your family. We help evaluate whether a trust fits your goals, working alongside your estate attorney.
Donating long-held stock or business interests instead of cash can be an efficient way to give. We help identify which assets make the most sense to donate.
For those who qualify, giving directly from an IRA to charity can count toward required minimum distributions. We help you decide whether and how to use them.
Combining several years of giving into a single year, sometimes called bunching, may make sense depending on your tax situation. We model the trade-offs with you.
Ready to Talk About the Difference You Want to Make?
Start with a conversation about the causes you care about, how you give today, and what you’d like your generosity to accomplish. We’ll help you see where to begin.
Explore Related Services
Charitable giving connects to the rest of your wealth. These services link your giving to your estate plan, to the values your family shares, and to the long-term plan that shows what you can comfortably give, all coordinated through your Sunpointe relationship.
Estate Planning
We work with your estate attorney on estate, gift, and trust strategy, including how charitable gifts fit into your broader estate plan.
Family Governance
Philanthropy is often where a family’s values become visible. We help families define those values and bring each generation into the conversation.
Financial Planning
Your financial plan helps you see how much you can give while staying on track for your own goals, from cash flow to retirement income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions we hear most about charitable planning.
Call us at 314-880-0821 or send a message.
Sunpointe helps clients evaluate and use three main charitable structures. Donor advised funds offer a flexible way to give over time with relatively little administration. Private foundations provide more control and can serve as a lasting family institution. Charitable trusts can combine giving with income for the donor or their family. The right choice depends on your goals, your family, and your broader financial and estate plan, which is why we coordinate with your CPA and estate attorney.
Yes. Sunpointe works with families who already have a private foundation, helping manage its investments and coordinating with the foundation’s other advisors. We can also help the family revisit the foundation’s purpose and grantmaking priorities and bring the next generation into its work, so the foundation continues to reflect the family’s values.
A qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, is a way to give directly from an IRA to a qualified charity. For those who meet the age requirement, a QCD can count toward required minimum distributions, and the amount given is generally not included in taxable income. Because the rules and limits change over time, Sunpointe helps clients decide whether QCDs fit their charitable and retirement plans, in coordination with their CPA.
Every charitable plan at Sunpointe starts with pre-planning, before any structure is chosen. We help the family clarify the outcomes it hopes to create, the causes that matter most, the legacy it wants to leave, and who should be involved in decisions. Only then do we evaluate structures and strategies. For many families, this conversation becomes a meaningful part of family meetings and next-generation education.
It depends on your goals. A donor advised fund is generally simpler to set up and maintain, and it suits donors who want flexibility without administrative responsibilities. A private foundation offers more control over investments and grantmaking and can give family members formal roles, but it comes with more administration and reporting. Some families use both. Sunpointe helps you weigh the trade-offs in light of your purpose and broader plan.
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