Testimonials
“Some clients who have significant wealth and are very philanthropic are looking for opportunities to give money during or after their lifetimes that would be helpful to the community and they’re not sure what they want to do or where they want the assets to go. After having learned more about the Community Foundation during my time on the Professional Advisor Council, I was confident introducing my clients to the Community Foundation to see if they could help my clients achieve their charitable goals”
-Dale B. Demyanick, CPA®, Lumsden McCormick
“The Community Foundation is very supportive and knowledgeable about solutions that might be beneficial for advisors’ clients to meet their philanthropic goals. The Community Foundation has many resources available, and professional advisors should be aware of those and learn how to use them.”
“The benefit of being on the Professional Advisor Council was gaining a deeper understanding of everything that the Community Foundation does, to really get the opportunity to see firsthand some of the use of the funds and the programs and to build a deeper relationship with the people at the foundation.”
–Peter Grogan, CFP®, Managing Director, United Capital Financial Advisors
“Some of my clients want to make a lasting impact over time, but may be concerned about giving to a small charity or a school. Being able to refer them to the Community Foundation, an organization that’s been around for over 100 years and has deep local knowledge of the nonprofit landscape in Western New York, gives peace of mind that their money will be stewarded and protected after they’re gone. The Community Foundation has a very professional staff who is responsive and makes the process of establishing a fund easy.”
– Catherine B. Eberal, Partner, Hodgson Russ
“Whether transitioning a client’s private family foundation, which may no longer be ideal for the family, into a donor advised fund or the creation of a charitable remainder trust to support their philanthropic goals and secure financial benefits for their family, the team at the Community Foundation can provide many options.”
– Bob Ingrasci, Lumsden McCormick
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“I would encourage all community members, but especially all professional advisors, to develop a relationship with the Community Foundation and understand the resources that are offered to both our region at large, and also to individual donors and their families.”
– Nickole Garrison, Garrison Murphy Wealth Management, LLC
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“When professional advisors work with the Community Foundation, they get some of the best guidance out there. The Community Foundation respects the advisor’s relationships with their clients and there is a mutual trust that ensures the clients’ needs are met.
– Cheryl Jankowski, Lumsden McCormick
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“My clients appreciate the flexibility of the different ways that their charitable gifts can be used to promote their particular goals.”
– Marianne Koenig, George & Koenig, PLLC
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“The Community Foundation has developed a mature, established investment portfolio, which allows clients to maximize the impact of their giving.”
– Larry C. Franco, Hurwitz & Fine, P.C.
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“I’ve always found the Community Foundation to be very responsive, very cooperative, and most importantly, helpful to my clients in achieving their charitable goals. As an estate planning attorney, many clients are trying to figure out how to satisfy their charitable intent. The Community Foundation provides a wonderful vehicle to allow clients to accomplish their goals.”
– Jeffrey Katz, Esq., Katz and Baehre
“Some clients have specific goals and the Community Foundation can help meet the goals. Others will say, ‘I have a charitable intention and maybe I want those funds allocated so that charitable objectives are met,’ but they’re unsure what those are. So the initiatives that the Community Foundation have are important. Along with the investment options, the way that the funds are managed, the historical performance and the diversification– all of that is really important to have under one umbrella.”
– Greg Urban, CPA, Dopkins & Company
“The Community Foundation is a great place to start conversations about charitable giving.”
– Dan Byles-Smith, CPA, CFP® and Principal, Waterford Advisors LLC
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“I think one of the great advantages of working with the Community Foundation is centralizing an individual’s ability to fund their charitable giving. The Community Foundation helps both in the mechanics and in the ability to provide information that will help these individuals clarify their donative intent, in addition to taking on the administrative work.”
– Cathy Wettlaufer, Esq., Partner, Barclay Damon
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“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.”
– Sarah Fenster, Esq., Partner, Fenster, Lewis & Good, LLC
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“Working with the Community Foundation is very easy, collaborative, helpful, educational and impactful for my clients.”
– David J. Luzon, Esq., Partner, Barclay Damon
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