Putting the Giving in Thanksgiving

This might hurt my mother’s feeling, but I can live without the creamed onions and the sweet potatoes covered with melted marshmallows.  Despite their stubborn presence at our annual gathering, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s all about the things … Continued

Trends in Philanthropy – Driven By Millennials

The philanthropy landscape is shifting underneath us.  The fact is that it is always shifting, to evolve as each generation reacts to and learns from what has worked and what hasn’t. Sometimes we learn from scandals such as the $1.2 … Continued

Get Your Giving Under Control

Individual giving accounts for over 72% of all charitable giving in the USA, according to the annual report on charitable giving in the US by GivingUSA.  This number fluctuates a bit from year to year, but on a relative basis, … Continued

Does Your Corporate Giving Program Need a Refresh?

In its 2015 Report, Giving USA indicated that US corporations donated $17.8 billion dollars to charitable organizations.  The bulk of this giving is through foundations they have set up for this purpose.  While this number pales in comparison to the $258 … Continued

Sell Off The Family Farm? Not So Fast!

Sharing real estate with multiple family members and between generations can be tricky.  It’s why most professional advisers recommend selling it off rather than trying to keep shared land in the family. Selling may be the right decision, but for … Continued

Cultivating Generosity – Inspiring The Next Generation

Opus partner, Jamie Forbes, recently participated in “Th!nk Forum” series hosted by Ballentine Partners at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston.  The discussion centered around teaching philanthropy to the next generation.  As is often the case, these stories begin with personal discoveries that … Continued