Community Foundation serves as host of seminars to promote local philanthropy

The Patio Learning Seminar copy

Bryan Clontz, president of Charitable Solutions LLC, gives a presentation on Thursday at The Patio about charitable trends. | Photo courtesy of Kaylee McFarland

QUINCY — The Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy reports Americans are giving more than ever, with charitable gifts in 2021 hitting record levels nationwide. While the numbers have soared, so has the sophistication with which individuals are giving. Donors are increasingly interested in more strategic ways to give back.

To encourage impactful charitable giving locally, the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri hosted free learning seminars on Thursday. Bryan Clontz, president of Charitable Solutions LLC, covered top trends for professional advisors and individuals interested in making a difference in their communities.

“We know that Americans are freakishly generous, but there are a number of additional ways to maximize giving and impact in a more tax-wise way,” Clontz said. “Additionally, generational trends are changing the type of funds and charitable engagement. These sessions provided an overview of some of the key trends developing in 2022 for both donors and advisors who work with them.”

Wealth planners, attorneys, bankers, CPAs, and other advisors who work with charitably-inclined individuals attended a luncheon seminar, “Top 10 Charitable Trends Every Advisor Should Know in 2022,” at the Quincy Country Club. Attendees at the lively session learned about tax planning opportunities under recent tax acts, popular gift vehicles and assets, motivations for giving, engaging clients across generations, and more.

“The more we can work together to grow charitable assets for our community — for today and for tomorrow — the better and stronger our region will be,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “The fantastic turnout at these seminars underscores that we have many partners sharing in our goal of advancing local philanthropy.”

Individuals interested in learning how to make the most of their own charitable giving attended a dinner seminar, “Top 5 Charitable Trends Every Donor Should Know in 2022,” at The Patio Restaurant & Lounge.

“We are fortunate to live in communities in which philanthropy is part of our culture. All of us have the potential to make a difference, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to assist both donors and nonprofits as they strive to do so,” Meckes said. 

Clontz is a charitable giving consultant specializing in noncash assets, like real estate, stock, or any item of appreciating value. He has worked extensively with community foundations and authored a book called “Charitable Gifts of Noncash Assets,” as well as the planned giving manual “Just Add Water.” He has written a dozen articles in financial services and planned giving journals and guest columns on charitable tax issues for Forbes.

Programs were made possible by presenting sponsors Mercantile Bank-United Community Banks and Benson Financial, and partner sponsors TI-Trust and Stevenson-Paxton Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. Additional sponsors were First Bankers Trust Company, Northwestern Mutual — Sheila Davismeyer and Donald K. Kirk, State Street Bank, Adams & McReynolds Retirement Partners, Cary, Welch, Hickman & Hawk LLC, Danielle Fleer, Gray Hunter Stenn, RiverWealth, Merrill Lynch and Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell LLP.  

The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. Its mission, “connecting people who care with causes that matter,” is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.   

The Community Foundation has made more than $13 million in grants since 1997. It serves 12 counties: Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri. 

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