Charitable & Legacy Planning
Building a Legacy Around What Matters to You
We can help you create a legacy that makes a lasting impact through charitable giving and estate strategies. Charitable and legacy planning helps you support the causes you care about while making the most of the tax benefits available to you.
Who is this For?
Charitable Giving Strategies We Can Help Coordinate
How Legacy Planning Fits With Estate Planning
Legacy planning works alongside estate planning by focusing not only on how your assets will be distributed, but also on the values, goals, and impact you want to leave behind. While estate planning is designed to have your wishes are carried out efficiently, legacy planning helps align those decisions with what matters most to you, whether that's supporting family, charitable causes, or future generations. Together, they create a more complete plan for both your wealth and your purpose.
Our Planning Process
The Outcome
A giving strategy that reflects your values and supports your broader financial goals.
Key Benefits
Mattson Wealth Management helps you give in a way that's designed to help maximize tax efficiency, using tools like donor-advised funds and charitable trusts where they make sense. Your giving strategy is coordinated with your estate planning attorney and tax professional so it works in step with your broader plan. The goal is a legacy that makes a lasting impact and reflects your full set of financial goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a donor-advised fund?
It's an account that lets you make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to charities over time.
Generally, a donor advised fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization, which is called a sponsoring organization. Each account is composed of contributions made by individual donors. Once the donor makes the contribution, the organization has legal control over it. However, the donor, or the donor's representative, retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution of funds and the investment of assets in the account. Donors take a tax deduction for all contributions at the time they are made, even though the money may not be dispersed to a charity until much later.
Can charitable giving reduce my taxes?
Yes, depending on how and when you give. We help you structure gifts in a way that supports both your goals and your tax situation.
Do I need to be wealthy to do charitable planning?
No. Charitable planning can be part of a financial strategy at many different asset levels, not just for large estates.
How does this connect to my estate plan?
We coordinate your giving strategy with your broader estate strategy so your legacy reflects your full set of goals and wishes.
What is the difference between charitable planning and estate planning?
Charitable planning focuses on using your assets to support causes you care about in a tax-efficient way, while estate planning focuses on managing and transferring your assets to your heirs and beneficiaries according to your wishes.
What are appreciated-asset gifts?
Appreciated-asset gifts are donations of investments or property that have increased in value, allowing donors to support a charity while often avoiding capital gains taxes and potentially receiving a charitable tax deduction.
What are charitable trusts?
A charitable trust is a specialized trust that allows you to dedicate assets to charitable causes while potentially receiving income, tax benefits, and estate-planning advantages.