Charitable Giving

Charitable Giving: Aligning Wealth with Purpose

For many of our clients, giving back is an important part of life — a way to support the people, causes, and communities that matter most to them. Whether it's providing opportunities in education, advancing the arts and sciences, or helping those less fortunate, charitable giving allows you to make a lasting impact beyond your financial success.

Thoughtful charitable planning can help you support your favorite organizations in ways that are both meaningful and financially smart — offering benefits for you today and for your heirs in the future.

Flexible Giving Strategies

We help clients explore several charitable giving tools, tailored to their situation and intentions:

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

Donor-Advised Funds offer a simple, flexible way to give to multiple organizations over time. With a DAF, you can make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to your favorite nonprofits at your own pace.
DAFs can be particularly effective for clients who want to simplify their giving, manage their tax picture, or involve their families in philanthropy without the complexity of establishing a private foundation.

Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs)

A Charitable Remainder Trust allows you to transfer assets into a trust, retain an income stream for life or a set term, and provide the remaining assets to a charitable organization.
There are several types of CRTs:

• Unitrusts, where income is a set percentage of the trust’s value, recalculated annually.
• Annuity Trusts, which pay a fixed annual income.
• Pooled Income Funds, where donors’ assets are combined and income is distributed proportionately.

CRTs can provide current income tax deductions, ongoing income, and a meaningful gift to the organization of your choice after your passing.

Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs)

With a Charitable Lead Trust, the income from the trust is directed to a charity for a set period of time, after which the remaining assets can pass to your heirs — often at a reduced estate and gift tax cost. CLTs can be useful for those looking to balance philanthropic goals with family wealth transfer strategies.

A Thoughtful Approach to Giving

Charitable planning, when carefully structured, can enrich both your life and the lives of others. It’s not always about maximizing tax deductions — it’s about creating a plan that reflects your values, supports the causes you believe in, and fits seamlessly into your broader financial picture.

At McCarley & Cook, we help you design charitable strategies that make sense for you — now and into the future.

Charitable planning involves complex tax considerations. We coordinate closely with your CPA and legal advisors to ensure your strategy is well-aligned with your overall plan.