“The client is the most important part of our work,” said David D. Fenster. That is engrained in the fabric of the attorneys who work at Fenster, Lewis & Good, LLC, a small firm in Williamsville that concentrates on estate planning, started by David and his wife, Beverly Lewis, nearly three decades ago.
“We have always had an interest in the two sides of charitable planning,” said David. “One is the technical side like charitable remainder trusts and informing about permanent endowments or foundations, and the other is the gratification we get when we get to play a role in our clients’ enormous generosity.”
To ensure their clients can meet their charitable goals and maximize their dollars, David and his colleagues look to the Community Foundation to expand what opportunities are available. “Clients come to us with charitable intentions and we have a great deal of confidence recommending they speak with the Community Foundation,” said Christina Good, attorney and partner at Fenster, Lewis and Good. “We appreciate the value they can bring our clients by walking them through different charitable options and helping them to maximize the impact of their giving in the ways that are meaningful to them. It really complements the work we do with them.”
“I greatly appreciate the honesty, flexibility, and creativity that the Community Foundation brings to clients who may be unsure about how to approach charitable giving,” added Sarah Fenster, attorney and partner at the firm. “The Community Foundation allows clients to be genuine with their intentions, will work with them to bring those intentions to fruition, and is able to further the clients’ charitable intentions in a way in which other planning options cannot.”
Whether working with clients to establish a fund that ensures their legacy, creating endowments to provide a perpetual source of funding for organizations and causes important to them, or transitioning private foundations to alleviate administrative burden, David, Christina and Sarah trust the Community Foundation to partner with them and their clients to make the most of their clients’ generosity. They also appreciate the resources the Community Foundation provides to help in conversations with clients.
“We have confidence knowing that when we refer our clients to the Community Foundation, they come back with very positive feedback,” said David. “With the Community Foundation, promises made will be promises kept.”