Advisor Encourages Investing in Our Community

When a client came to Ron Detweiler with a tax challenge, he jumped at the chance to get creative. As a CPA and financial advisor at Honkamp Krueger & Co, P.C., Ron helps his clients navigate the complex and ever-changing world of taxes and finance.

This particular client, who prefers anonymity, expressed interest in making charitable giving a part of that plan, so Ron brought her to the Community Foundation. Given her love of animals, she knew she wanted to support the field of animal rescue and care. The Community Foundation was able to connect her to that cause.

“I refer clients to the Community Foundation primarily because of their expertise,” Ron explains. With its unique position, the Community Foundation was able to help the client become the donor, establishing an endowed fund designated to the animal care sector. As the fund prepares to make distributions, the Community Foundation is able to educate the donor on local nonprofits, the services they provide, and what impact her gifts to them may have.

This is a familiar story for Ron and other professional advisors who work with the Community Foundation. “With the changing landscape of tax legislation,” he explains, “it forces us to get more creative in what we do for clients. The Community Foundation is just always on the leading edge of whatever’s happening both locally and at the state level with tax credits.”

This creativity and collaboration comes from a reality that is changing: while tax-deductible gifts have long been a part of financial planning, people are now taking more active roles in this giving. As they start to look for more impactful ways to give, these donors become philanthropists, investing in the communities they care about.
Like any investment, there’s an expectation of return. Donors want to see change in their community and know they’ve made a difference. They also appreciate financial incentives. “There are people who are going to give whether they get a benefit or not, and that’s wonderful,” Ron points out, “but obviously my job, for somebody who has a propensity to give, is to find a way that they can give efficiently, and get a return on that giving so that they can give more.”

This ability to facilitate impactful and rewarding philanthropy is why Ron continues to send clients to the Community Foundation. He’s an active member of the community, sitting on several boards, and as a financial advisor he feels a responsibility to provide clients options when it comes to charitable giving. “I like to work with people who invest in the community,” he says, “and the Community Foundation is the first place to go to start that conversation.”