Professional advisors
Helping your clients navigate philanthropy
A client may tell you they want to do something meaningful with their wealth. They might be wondering where to begin, how to involve their family or whether their current giving could be more focused.
You may be the first person they raise it with. I can give them the time and specialist support to explore those questions, while working alongside the advice you already provide.
When your client wants to give, but isn’t sure how
Perhaps a client has sold a business or received an inheritance and wants to consider what to give. Perhaps they have supported charities for years but now want a more informed plan. Or a conversation about their children, their foundation or their legacy has raised questions that go beyond financial and legal arrangements.
They don’t need to know which causes to support before we meet. They simply need an interest in exploring what their philanthropy could look like.
How I can help your client
I start by listening to what matters to them and what they hope their giving might achieve. Then I help them learn about the people, organisations and approaches in the areas they care about.
Depending on what they need, we may work on a philanthropy plan, family conversations, researching organisations, making grants or putting decisions into practice. The aim is for your client to become more informed and confident, not simply to leave with a list of charities.
Specialist advice alongside your own
You remain the expert in your field. I bring experience of philanthropy, grant-making and the charity sector, and I take care to complement the relationship you have built with your client.
My advice is independent. I have no financial product, funding vehicle or particular organisation to promote. I give clients space to think, explore their options and build confidence before making important decisions, and practical help to put those decisions into action.
A short introduction to share
This one-page PDF explains how I support clients and work alongside their professional advisors.
Working with me
Before establishing my independent consultancy in 2015, I spent more than 20 years working in grant-making and the charity sector, including managing programmes for BBC Children in Need and Lloyds Bank Foundation.
I also teach on Master’s programmes in philanthropy and write about the practice of advising donors. With Professor Beth Breeze, I co-wrote Advising Philanthropists: Principles and Practice and contributed a chapter on philanthropy to STEP’s handbook Business Families and Family Businesses, written for professional advisors working with families.
Training for your team
I offer tailored, interactive training for private client teams who want to have better conversations about philanthropy. We can explore the practice of philanthropy advice, questions your clients are asking or specific issues affecting how people give.
“Emma’s workshop was great. She gave us lots of ideas but also did a fantastic job of getting our team to share their own thoughts about how to provide valuable philanthropic advisory support to our clients.”
Let’s talk
If you have a client in mind, or want to understand when an introduction might be helpful, I’d be glad to have a conversation.