Using Your Wealth For Good

Can you fulfill your philosophical vision through meaningful investment?

It may be easy to list causes near and dear to your heart, but knowing the best ways to make the biggest positive impact can be a challenge. Whether you want to get involved with a favorite organization publicly or behind the scenes, you have a wide range of options to build a legacy and make a difference.

Combining strategic advisory, a community of like-minded philanthropists, and access to vetted opportunities makes the giving experience easier and more enjoyable. There is no single path to philanthropy. At UBS, we help turn your vision into reality.

Planning Your Philanthropic Vision

Everyone has unique issues they care about. Before you start doling out dollars to nonprofits or writing a big check for a favorite cause, it is important to pause and consider your full philanthropic vision.

Your vision should outline the goals you are looking to achieve with philanthropic activities. Once you take into account your skills and resources—combined with your motivations and experiences—you can more confidently choose suitable places to invest.

When building a philanthropic vision, many benefactors look to guiding religious or moral principles, social and environmental causes where they have a personal stake, and other affiliations where they can leave a lasting legacy.

Combining strategic advisory, a community of like-minded philanthropists, and access to vetted opportunities makes the giving experience easier and more enjoyable.

From Vision to Strategy

UBS suggests planning in three stages before moving on to implementation: creating a vision, outlining an approach, and then crafting a strategy to achieve the highest positive impact for every donation.

Crafting a strategy involves narrowing your list of philanthropic opportunities to the causes you care most about and where you believe your efforts will lead to the best results. If you need help, sit down with a spouse, relative, or trusted friend to help eliminate any organizations or causes that don’t meet your standards.

To implement your strategy, go through a vetting process where you identify and assess the right causes, and take time to learn and evaluate. Only then can you add the final building blocks of your philanthropy: investing directly in these companies or choosing a vehicle to help ensure your efforts go to the right use. These can range from private foundations to donor-advised funds. You may want to give cash, stock, or other assets, depending on your investment history and tax factors, among other considerations.

[To read more of Larry M. Schnaid’s thought leadership click here]

Make the Biggest Difference with Every Philanthropic Dollar

We’ve learned that 20% of high-net-worth individuals consider giving to be highly effective. With the right planning in place, however, confidence and satisfaction get a boost of nearly 50%.* Those who put in the effort for planning in advance see the best results both in terms of outcomes and personal satisfaction according to the survey.

Checkbook philanthropy—when you give to a nonprofit with minimal personal involvement—may be a simple way to support a broad number of organizations. But making the biggest difference requires expertise. UBS Philanthropy Services includes a dedicated team with an exclusive focus on helping investors like you pursue your philanthropic vision.

Create Change Where It Matters Most

Wealthy business leaders like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett famously pledged to give away at least 50% of their wealth to philanthropic causes. While individuals should set their philanthropic goals within a range that feels comfortable to their own giving tolerance, the positive impacts their donations have had on the world can serve as great inspiration to carve a path of your own.

Whether you prefer to give to religious institutions, the arts, disease prevention, children’s causes, or anywhere else, UBS is here to help you work toward your philanthropic goals.

[For more on UBS’ approach to Wealth Management click here]

This article has been written and provided by UBS Financial Services Inc. for use by its Financial Advisors.
Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provide tax or legal advice. You should consult with your personal tax or legal advisor regarding your personal circumstances.
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