Have a question? 720-328-2877 or Book a Call
WEALTH MANAGEMENT | FINANCIAL PLANNING
Charitable Planning
For many high net worth families, charitable giving is not an afterthought, it is a core expression of values and a meaningful part of what “success” means.
Heirloom Wealth’s Charitable Planning service is designed to help you move from reactive giving to an intentional, integrated approach.
We begin by understanding your values, goals, and relationships. From there, Heirloom helps you build a philanthropic framework that can support your lifetime giving and, where desired, your legacy to future generations and causes.
The Problem
Heirloom helps you understand how to best help others.
The Financial Rules around Philanthropy Can Be Complicated. Heirloom will make sure the most of your money goes where it matters.
Most successful families are already giving in some way:
Annual gifts to favorite organizations
Support for religious or community institutions
Contributions tied to events or peer requests
Occasional larger gifts connected to a life event or liquidity moment
Yet common questions often linger in the background:
“Are we giving in the most effective way for the causes we care about?”
“How much can we afford to give—this year and over time—without compromising other goals?”
“Should we be using vehicles like donor-advised funds, trusts, or even a foundation?”
“How do we involve children or grandchildren in a healthy, intentional way?”
“Are there ways our giving could be better coordinated with our tax and estate planning?”
Typical challenges Heirloom sees around charitable giving include:
Unstructured giving – Donations made from various accounts without a clear annual budget or long-term plan.
Missed planning opportunities – Large charitable intentions but limited use of tools that may help support those goals, depending on circumstances.
Tax and timing questions – Uncertainty about when and how to give, particularly around liquidity events or years with unusually high income.
Family alignment issues – Differing views on amounts, priorities, and how much to formalize giving across generations.
Charitable planning at Heirloom is built to address these questions within the context of your full financial life.
Heirloom’s Approach to Charitable Planning
Working Together To Maximize Your Philanthropic Impact
Our Approach
1. Values and Vision Discovery
Charitable planning starts with why, not how.
Heirloom takes time to understand:
The causes, institutions, or communities that matter most to you
How you think about giving—quietly, publicly, through involvement, or at arm’s length
Your interest (or lack of interest) in involving children or grandchildren
Whether giving during your lifetime, at death, or both feels most important
How you define “success” for your philanthropy
This conversation shapes everything that follows. The goal is to ensure strategies serve your values, not the other way around.
Our Approach
2. Clarifying Capacity and Intent
Next, Heirloom helps you translate intentions into practical parameters by exploring:
What you are giving today—amounts, frequency, and patterns
What you might like to give on an ongoing basis if you had a clear plan
Whether there are specific one-time or larger commitments you are considering
How charitable goals fit alongside retirement, family support, and legacy objectives
Using your broader financial plan and projections, the firm then helps you calibrate:
How much you may be able to give safely over time, depending on your situation
The pace at which you might fund certain commitments
How different giving levels may interact with other long-term goals
This process does not tell you what you should give; it gives you a clearer sense of what is feasible, so your decisions can be both generous and grounded.
Our Approach
3. Evaluating Charitable Structures and Strategies
With clarity around your goals and capacity, Heirloom works with you to evaluate potential structures, in coordination with your tax and legal advisors. These may include, where appropriate:
Direct annual gifts from income or portfolio
Donor-advised funds (DAFs)
Charitable trusts or bequests
Gifts of appreciated securities or certain other assets
More formal structures such as private foundations (for families where this is appropriate and desirable)
For each option, the discussion focuses on:
Alignment with your philanthropic goals and time horizon
Administrative complexity and level of involvement required
How each approach interacts with your overall tax and estate plan
Important note: Heirloom does not provide legal or tax advice, and does not draft legal documents. Charitable strategies are developed and implemented in collaboration with your existing tax and legal professionals, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
Our Approach
4. Integrating Charitable Planning With Tax, Investment, and Estate Strategies
Charitable planning does not sit on its own island. Heirloom coordinates your giving strategy with:
Investments – Identifying which assets may be most appropriate for giving (for example, appreciated securities) and how to rebalance after gifts.
Tax planning – Considering timing, amounts, and structures that may help manage your tax picture, depending on your situation and in consultation with your tax advisors.
Estate and legacy planning – Aligning beneficiary designations, trust provisions, and charitable bequests with your broader intentions for family and causes.
Retirement income planning – Ensuring that philanthropic commitments are reasonably supported by your long-term retirement projections.
The aim is to avoid fragmented decisions—where giving, investing, taxes, and estate planning pull in different directions—and instead create a coordinated approach.
Our Approach
5. Implementation Support
Once a charitable framework is defined, Heirloom assists with implementation, which may include:
Establishing or funding donor-advised funds or other giving vehicles in partnership with relevant providers
Coordinating gifts of securities or other assets from your investment accounts
Working with your attorney to reflect charitable plans in wills, trusts, or other estate documents
Updating your financial plan and projections to incorporate new giving levels or commitments
Throughout, the emphasis is on clarity and follow-through: documenting decisions, tracking progress, and ensuring that your charitable strategy is actually carried out, not just discussed.
Our Approach
6. Ongoing Review and Family Education
Philanthropic goals and family dynamics can evolve over time. Heirloom revisits your charitable plan with you periodically to:
Review actual giving versus your intended framework
Adjust for changes in income, liquidity events, or spending needs
Reflect new causes, institutions, or priorities that may emerge
Consider when and how to involve children or grandchildren in age-appropriate ways
Where desired, Heirloom can help facilitate family conversations about values, stewardship, and giving, so your philanthropic approach is understood and supported across generations.
Outcomes / Results
Heirloom does not present charitable planning as a way to guarantee specific tax results or investment outcomes. Instead, the focus is on helping you give with greater clarity, purpose, and integration.
Clients who go through this process commonly experience:
More Intentional, Values-Driven Giving
A defined charitable strategy that reflects what matters most to you
A clearer sense of how much you plan to give—annually and over time
Less reactive giving driven by deadlines or external pressure
Better Coordination With Your Overall Plan
Charitable commitments that fit comfortably within your broader financial picture
Giving that is aligned with your retirement, family, and legacy goals
Strategies that are evaluated alongside tax and estate considerations, rather than in isolation
Increased Clarity for Family and Heirs
Documented intentions that can be communicated to the next generation
A clearer understanding among family members of how philanthropy fits into the overall plan
The ability to model thoughtful generosity as part of your family culture
Reduced Complexity and Administrative Burden
A simpler, more organized approach to giving, even when using sophisticated structures
Fewer last-minute decisions about “how much” and “from where” at year-end
A single team helping coordinate with your tax and legal advisors so you are not managing everything alone
Is Heirloom's Charitable Planning Relevant For You?
Heirloom’s Charitable Planning service is particularly well-suited for:
High-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families
who give regularly but want a more intentional, structured approach.
Investors anticipating or experiencing a liquidity event
who would like to incorporate significant charitable goals in a thoughtful way.
Families with strong philanthropic values
who want to involve children or grandchildren in a purposeful, age-appropriate manner.
Clients already working with an advisor
who feel their giving has not been deeply integrated into their broader wealth, tax, and estate planning.
Individuals and couples
who want to balance caring for family with supporting causes they care about, without leaving either to chance.
If you see your own situation in any of these descriptions and you want your giving to be as intentional as your wealth-building Heirloom’s approach is designed for you.
FAQs
Q: How does Heirloom approach charitable planning for clients?
Charitable planning at Heirloom starts with client intent. If giving is important to a client, Heirloom works to align charitable goals with the broader financial plan—helping clients give in ways that reflect their values while also being thoughtful about tax efficiency and long-term impact.
Q: What role do Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) play in charitable planning?
For clients subject to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), Qualified Charitable Distributions can be a powerful tool. By directing a portion of an RMD directly from an IRA to a qualified charity, clients may satisfy their RMD while avoiding the associated taxable income—supporting charitable causes and managing taxes at the same time.
Q: How can charitable giving help manage taxes in retirement?
Charitable strategies can be especially effective when RMDs push clients into higher tax brackets. Instead of taking distributions, paying taxes, and then donating cash, charitable planning may allow clients to redirect those distributions more efficiently. Heirloom evaluates these strategies within the context of each client’s income, tax situation, and retirement goals.
Q: What is a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), and when does it make sense?
A Donor-Advised Fund allows clients to make a charitable contribution in a high-income year, receive a potential tax deduction at the time of contribution, and distribute funds to charities over many future years. This approach can be especially useful when paired with strategies like Roth conversions or other large taxable events. Heirloom can help evaluate whether a DAF aligns with a client’s goals and manage it as part of the broader plan.
Q: Is charitable planning only about donating to charities?
No. While charitable organizations are a key focus, charitable planning can also include giving while living—such as helping children or grandchildren with education, supporting family goals, or creating a lasting legacy. Heirloom helps clients explore the most effective ways to give, ensuring generosity is intentional, sustainable, and aligned with long-term planning objectives.
If you are giving today without a clear framework or you are considering larger charitable commitments and want to understand how they fit into your overall plan Heirloom can help.
Schedule A Strategy Session with Our Team
This initial conversation is designed to understand your goals, current situation, and priorities. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, explore how Heirloom’s integrated approach works, and determine whether a longer-term relationship makes sense—without pressure or obligation.
Our Services
A coordinated approach to managing investments, planning, and cash flow, designed to bring clarity and confidence to your financial life today and over time.
Tax strategies integrated with your broader wealth plan, helping inform decisions, improve efficiency, and support long-term outcomes through coordinated planning.
Contact
6400 S Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 1970
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
3200 Cherry Creek S Dr.
Suite 130
Denver, CO 80209
© 2026 Heirloom Wealth. All Rights Reserved.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and is believed to be from reliable sources; however, its accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. This material is not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice. Individuals should consult with qualified tax or legal professionals regarding their specific circumstances. Nothing contained herein should be construed as a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any security.
Heirloom Wealth Management LLC takes data privacy seriously. In accordance with applicable privacy laws, you may request information regarding the collection and use of personal data or exercise applicable privacy rights.
Investment advisory services are offered through Heirloom Wealth Management LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser.