Those who create estate plans have one goal in common.
“You create a plan because you love someone,” said Tamara Burke, owner of Financial Benefits in Spearfish and a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies LLC.
Burke collaborates with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation to ensure her clients’ estate plans honor the people and causes that they care about most. Ask yourself, she said, “Rather than writing this check to the IRS, would I rather give it to charity?”
“When you write a check to the government, 90 percent may go to administration, and only 10 percent to practical applications. Whereas if you find the proper charities,” which the Foundation does, “90 percent can go to people and programs,” she said.
She appreciates how the Foundation keeps track of the charitable landscape to advise donors. “The Foundation is doing due diligence,” she said. “Today, these are active charities, but the Foundation is doing that stewardship to make sure they stay effective in the community.”
Donors customize their giving to suit their needs, which includes remaining anonymous if desired. “Or, you can decide, this is a memorial to my husband – I want him to be honored,” Burke said.
The Foundation also maximizes the power of the compounding dollar, she noted. Donors can combine their funds into investment pools, realizing economies of scale for a larger impact.
Ultimately, Burke’s relationship with the Foundation helps give her clients peace of mind. They trust that their advisors and the Foundation will fulfill their wishes, taking care of what matters most.
One client who created a fund at the Foundation, Burke remembers, breathed a sigh of relief after a financial planning meeting. He took a deep breath and said, “Everything is going to be okay.”