Leveraging Complex Assets for Good with Donor-Advised Funds

Often when we consider charitable giving, we first think of giving cash or stock. Yet, for many philanthropists, the bulk of their wealth lies in other types of assets, like investments in real estate or private businesses. Sometimes, grassroots or smaller charities aren’t equipped to receive gifts of appreciated assets. This is where donor-advised funds can shine, allowing philanthropists to …

Fueling Nonprofit Success: The Role of Donor-Advised Funds

Here at Greater Horizons, we regularly establish all types of charitable funds for individuals, families, companies and even charities. What’s the most popular charitable vehicle we encounter? It’s easily the donor-advised fund. These funds make up more than half of our assets and the majority of our annual contribution and grant totals. Our donors choose to give with a donor-advised …

Your Guide to Donating Complex Assets

With a donor-advised fund or other charitable investment accounts, you can easily set aside gifts of cash and publicly traded securities for your immediate or long-term grantmaking. Our team at Greater Horizons is equipped to handle more complex gifts to donor-advised funds, too, which means you can consider your full financial portfolio for your philanthropy. In this short video, President …

Norbert Braun Donor-Advised Fund

Can I Use My Donor-Advised Fund for That?

Granting money from your donor-advised fund is one of the best feelings in the world. You are quite literally making the world a better place through your generosity. But sometimes – especially if you have just opened a new donor-advised fund – understanding where you can and cannot make a grant is not crystal clear. Greater Horizons is here to …

Employee-Inspired Giving: A Conversation with Laura Coy and Paige LaCour of William Blair

Chicago-based global investment banking and wealth management firm William Blair gives back through grants, sponsorships, employee matching gifts, volunteering and nonprofit board development. And, just last year, the firm donated $3.5 million to more than 900 charities. Director of Philanthropy Strategy Laura Coy and Senior Philanthropy Strategy Associate Paige LaCour recently joined Greater Horizons’ Corporate Services Specialist NaTika Rowles to …

Joining Together: A Message From Our President & CEO

A Message From Debbie Wilkerson, President & CEO Right now, many are feeling fear, sadness, helplessness, and perhaps shame, including myself. Our minds are filled with images: The brutal killings grounded in racism; the indignity of a wise black man in Central Park. This pain is deep and lasting. For me, the shame comes as I imagine every person of …

Census 2020: Ensuring an Accurate Count

Have you filled out your 2020 census questionnaire? It’s critically important that every person living in the United States responds to the census to ensure that our communities receive federal funding to finance public services and programs. For the first time, you can answer the 2020 census online, by phone or by paper through the mail. This major technology integration …

Bacterial cell or virus, 3d generated view from microscope.

Philanthropy’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

As individuals, companies, and government agencies around the globe try to grapple with the outbreak of COVID-19, private philanthropists have given more than $9.1 billion to response and relief efforts. Candid, a leading data and research hub on nonprofits, has been closely tracking the donations from leading philanthropists and the world’s largest companies. You can dig into that data online …

Supporting Sustainable Agriculture: A Conversation with Virginia Clarke

Senior Philanthropic Advisor Gwen Wurst recently sat down with Virginia Clarke, Executive Director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF). SAFSF is the nation’s only collaborative group for grantmakers and philanthropists with the common goal of supporting sustainable agriculture and food systems. On the podcast, Gwen and Virginia discussed what projects SAFSF members are investing in, how they are …

We’re Here to Help You Carry Out Your Charitable Legacy

For many donors and their families, it is very important to carefully develop and document their charitable plans. At Greater Horizons, we work with donors every day to ensure donors’ charitable legacies are carried out during and beyond their lifetimes. Have you thought about what will happen to your charitable fund after your lifetime? We offer several different options to …