As attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, you know very well that trust is at the foundation of your relationships with clients. Your clients are seeking a similar level of trust with the people and organizations that are helping carry out their philanthropic wishes.

Fortunately, trust in charities has shown an increase after a recent dip. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer and the Independent Sector’s “Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy” report, trust in nonprofits rebounded by 5 points to 57% in 2024, following a four-year decline. This increase positions nonprofits as the most trusted sector compared to government, business, and media. Still, nonprofits face challenges and concerns about maintaining this trust, including general skepticism about institutions, as well as increasing expectations that charities demonstrate transparency and accountability.

As you work with your charitable clients, keep in mind that the Winona Community Foundation can help bolster clients’ trust in their favorite charities. Here’s how:

Wide-ranging expertise about community needs

At its core, the Winona Community Foundation is committed to achieving local impact. This means that our team keeps a finger on the pulse of Winona’s needs, whether related to social services, health care, education, the environment, the arts, community development, or any other community priority. With a deep understanding about community needs, our staff can be an excellent sounding board for your clients who want to learn which charities are addressing each need and how those charities are measuring results.

Broad set of tools for structuring charitable gifts

The Winona Community Foundation can help establish a tax-efficient structure to achieve each client’s goals for community impact. Available vehicles include not only donor-advised funds, but also other types of funds such as designated funds to support specific charities and field-of-interest funds to address particular causes, as well as multi-generational funds to involve clients’ children and grandchildren. We offer a flexible and effective way to manage charitable giving by simplifying their giving processes and maximizing potential tax benefits.

As always, we want to be your first call! Please reach out anytime the topic of charitable giving comes up during a client conversation.