Podcasts undoubtedly are a component of the upper echelons of the Interwebs—one of the aspects of digital content that actually help us be more knowledgeable, interesting people. Unlike cute animal videos on Reddit, the time suck that is Twitter scrolling, or the easily enabled spending sprees on Amazon Prime, podcasts open our eyes to stories that capture our minds. They give us tidbits to discuss with our dinner companions, can help us forget we’re cleaning the house, and make driving through the long swaths of nothing-but-cornfields in the Midwest that much more manageable. Podcasts give us a chance to enrich and enhance our personal and professional lives in an accessible way.
A major sector of my practice is dedicated to working with nonprofits and the donors who support them. Be it writing and filing organizing documents, offering valuable training for nonprofit boards and staff members, handling compliance issues, or coordinating complex charitable gifts, I love working with Iowa nonprofits. In order to do my best work in the intersection between nonprofit operations and law, I try to stay on top of news and best practices in the industry. One way to do that? Podcasts—they’re like free professional development. If you work for a nonprofit, serve on a board, or are simply an interested donor, here are four top-notch podcasts related to nonprofits.
Nonprofit Leadership Podcast: Making Your World Better
This is a great listen for nonprofit leaders (like the name of the show says) as each episode covers opportunities, trends, and problems applicable to leadership in the sector. First hand advice from other leaders can be invaluable in helping others apply the same practices in their own respective organizations. Dr. Rob Harter hosts the show and brings with him more than two decades of work in “leading and building non-profit organizations, leveraging resources, communication and personal development.” The episodes (available in iTunes) give advice and tell stories to help you ultimately be more efficient and effective in your leadership. I liked one of the recent episodes from June that featured the “Fundraising Coach,” AKA Marc A. Pitman, on how to lead with less stress.
If you want to discuss the issues your nonprofit is facing, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or phone, at 515-371-6077. I’m more than happy to offer a free consultation.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/alphacolor-13-181701-e1502827296798.jpg28085573Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2017-08-15 14:58:532020-05-18 11:28:58Press Play on these Nonprofit-Related Podcasts
Capital assets include stocks, bonds, real estate, art, and antiques. The amount a donor can claim as an income tax charitable deduction depends on whether the property is considered short-term or long-term capital gain property. The long-term holding period is a 12 months plus a day. Short term property is that which is held for 12 months or less.
Long-Term Capital Gain Property
For gifts of long-term capital gain property, the donor can generally claim a federal income tax charitable deduction for the fair market value of the property. To take a simple example, assume Jill Donor has held publicly traded stock for more than one year. The stock is valued at $10,000, which Donor bought for $1,000, i.e., the stock has a cost basis of $1,000. If Donor makes a gift of this stock to a qualified charitable organization, she can claim a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock, $10,000.
Short-Term Capital Gain Property
For short-term capital gain property, the value of the federal income tax charitable deduction is limited to the cost basis. Another example: assume Jill Donor held publicly traded stock for 364 days. The stock is valued at $10,000, which has a cost basis of $1,000. If Donor makes a gift of this stock to a qualified charitable organization, she can claim a deduction for only the cost basis of the stock, $1,000.
As you can see, it’s generally advisable to delay a gift of appreciated property until the long-term holding period can be met.
Ask More Questions.
This is a solid overview, but you may have more questions! Don’t hesitate to reach Gordon by phone at 515-371-6077 or email at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/petradr-176.jpg19442896Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2017-08-08 06:15:302020-05-18 11:28:58Gifts of Long-Term vs. Short-Term Capital Gain Property
Although well-meaning, my husband and I are perpetually running late. We are late for everything—missing the first two minutes of a movie, showing up 30 seconds too late to see the balloon drop at a New Year’s Eve party, showing up to a physical therapy session five minutes late… Sound familiar?
When it came to finances, my husband and I managed to keep up on bills and our credit scores were decent, but we were always just doing the minimum to keep our heads above water. Saving enough funds for a couple trips, enough to pay the bills, and maybe throw a couple bucks into long term savings.
There is a game changer in this equation: our daughter.
Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash
She has been the single greatest catalyst in our lives and has forced us to address the facts about sound financials and estate planning. We were especially concerned about the potential for an accident involving both me and my husband.
Gordon set us up with a complete estate plan. It wasn’t nearly as complicated (nor as expensive) as we would have thought.
My husband and I took special care selecting her guardians, should something happen to us, as well as setting up a trust for her to gain access to assets after her 18th birthday.
We plan to revisit the estate plan annually, just to make sure that everything is current. In addition to her college fund, it is our way of taking her financial security seriously and planning for the unexpected. Maybe she’ll forgive us for the chronic lateness she inherited with the knowledge that she has also inherited a strong financial support system in place to help her, no matter what.
Note from Gordon: If you’re like this client (who wished to remain anonymous), children and grandchildren can mean you’ll pursue legal and financial actions you never thought of before to ensure piece of mind that they’ll be taken care of if something happens to you. There’s no harm in giving me a call or shooting me an email to at least talk about what you may need in terms of an individualized estate plan. I look forward to working with you!
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/kelly-sikkema-325963.jpg19873000Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2017-08-07 15:48:572020-05-18 11:28:58From a Client: Why we Chose to Hire Gordon Fischer to Create our First Estate Plan
Press Play on these Nonprofit-Related Podcasts
Charitable Giving, NonprofitsPodcasts undoubtedly are a component of the upper echelons of the Interwebs—one of the aspects of digital content that actually help us be more knowledgeable, interesting people. Unlike cute animal videos on Reddit, the time suck that is Twitter scrolling, or the easily enabled spending sprees on Amazon Prime, podcasts open our eyes to stories that capture our minds. They give us tidbits to discuss with our dinner companions, can help us forget we’re cleaning the house, and make driving through the long swaths of nothing-but-cornfields in the Midwest that much more manageable. Podcasts give us a chance to enrich and enhance our personal and professional lives in an accessible way.
A major sector of my practice is dedicated to working with nonprofits and the donors who support them. Be it writing and filing organizing documents, offering valuable training for nonprofit boards and staff members, handling compliance issues, or coordinating complex charitable gifts, I love working with Iowa nonprofits. In order to do my best work in the intersection between nonprofit operations and law, I try to stay on top of news and best practices in the industry. One way to do that? Podcasts—they’re like free professional development. If you work for a nonprofit, serve on a board, or are simply an interested donor, here are four top-notch podcasts related to nonprofits.
Business of Giving
Hosted by Denver Frederick, who can boast 40 years of valuable experience “in the world of philanthropy and social good,” the Business of Giving explores topics and solutions to complicated social issues. In the past, the program has explored topics such as affordable housing, education, access to clean water, and global poverty. Based out of New York City, a new episode is released on Sundays, 6-7 p.m. The best place to listen is on Soundcloud. Recent episodes of the show (of the over 300 tracks available to listen to) include interviews with Dan Cardinali, President and CEO of The Independent Sector, Megan O’Neil, Staff Writer for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Adarsh Alphons, Founder and Executive Director of ProjectArt.
Nonprofit Leadership Podcast: Making Your World Better
This is a great listen for nonprofit leaders (like the name of the show says) as each episode covers opportunities, trends, and problems applicable to leadership in the sector. First hand advice from other leaders can be invaluable in helping others apply the same practices in their own respective organizations. Dr. Rob Harter hosts the show and brings with him more than two decades of work in “leading and building non-profit organizations, leveraging resources, communication and personal development.” The episodes (available in iTunes) give advice and tell stories to help you ultimately be more efficient and effective in your leadership. I liked one of the recent episodes from June that featured the “Fundraising Coach,” AKA Marc A. Pitman, on how to lead with less stress.
Tiny Spark
Not only does Tiny Spark have a cool owl logo, it also has pretty fantastic episodes that dig in deep on “philanthropy, nonprofits and international aid.” Founder and managing editor, Amy Costello, is a rock star reporter who has an impressive reporting resume including PBS, BBC, and NPR; she was nominated for an Emmy Award on her reporting on Dafur, Sudan. Subscribe on iTunes for episodes such as the recent ones on “The Rise of Philanthropy’s ‘Shadow Giving System’,” and “Why Big Philanthropy Needs Scrutiny Not Gratitude.”
Nonprofit Ally
The Nonprofit Ally podcast wraps essential topics like “social media strategies, capacity building, board of director development, fundraising and budgeting,” into conversations with nonprofit leaders. Episodes are under an hour and after tangible advice you can with you into your nonprofit role, such as how to have better board meetings with Roberts Rules, how to fundraise over email, and tips of the trade from a professional grant writer. The podcast is hosted by Steve Vick of the podcast’s associated website, nonprofitally.com. You can listen on the website or subscribe on Android and Apple platforms.
What nonprofit-related podcasts would you add to my listening library? Share below in the comments. (On a related note, I also wrote about how the podcast S-Town made a strong case for the need and power of estate planning.)
If you want to discuss the issues your nonprofit is facing, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or phone, at 515-371-6077. I’m more than happy to offer a free consultation.
Gifts of Long-Term vs. Short-Term Capital Gain Property
Charitable Giving, Taxes & FinanceCapital assets include stocks, bonds, real estate, art, and antiques. The amount a donor can claim as an income tax charitable deduction depends on whether the property is considered short-term or long-term capital gain property. The long-term holding period is a 12 months plus a day. Short term property is that which is held for 12 months or less.
Long-Term Capital Gain Property
For gifts of long-term capital gain property, the donor can generally claim a federal income tax charitable deduction for the fair market value of the property. To take a simple example, assume Jill Donor has held publicly traded stock for more than one year. The stock is valued at $10,000, which Donor bought for $1,000, i.e., the stock has a cost basis of $1,000. If Donor makes a gift of this stock to a qualified charitable organization, she can claim a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock, $10,000.
Short-Term Capital Gain Property
For short-term capital gain property, the value of the federal income tax charitable deduction is limited to the cost basis. Another example: assume Jill Donor held publicly traded stock for 364 days. The stock is valued at $10,000, which has a cost basis of $1,000. If Donor makes a gift of this stock to a qualified charitable organization, she can claim a deduction for only the cost basis of the stock, $1,000.
As you can see, it’s generally advisable to delay a gift of appreciated property until the long-term holding period can be met.
Ask More Questions.
This is a solid overview, but you may have more questions! Don’t hesitate to reach Gordon by phone at 515-371-6077 or email at gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com.
To stay in the know with the latest Gordon Fischer Law Firm news and blog posts, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, GoFisch!
From a Client: Why we Chose to Hire Gordon Fischer to Create our First Estate Plan
Estates & Estate Planning, From Gordon's Desk...Although well-meaning, my husband and I are perpetually running late. We are late for everything—missing the first two minutes of a movie, showing up 30 seconds too late to see the balloon drop at a New Year’s Eve party, showing up to a physical therapy session five minutes late… Sound familiar?
When it came to finances, my husband and I managed to keep up on bills and our credit scores were decent, but we were always just doing the minimum to keep our heads above water. Saving enough funds for a couple trips, enough to pay the bills, and maybe throw a couple bucks into long term savings.
There is a game changer in this equation: our daughter.
Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash
She has been the single greatest catalyst in our lives and has forced us to address the facts about sound financials and estate planning. We were especially concerned about the potential for an accident involving both me and my husband.
We decided to create an estate plan with Gordon because we needed reassurance that should anything happen to us, she would be cared for with as minimal amount of legal hiccups as possible.
Gordon set us up with a complete estate plan. It wasn’t nearly as complicated (nor as expensive) as we would have thought.
My husband and I took special care selecting her guardians, should something happen to us, as well as setting up a trust for her to gain access to assets after her 18th birthday.
We plan to revisit the estate plan annually, just to make sure that everything is current. In addition to her college fund, it is our way of taking her financial security seriously and planning for the unexpected. Maybe she’ll forgive us for the chronic lateness she inherited with the knowledge that she has also inherited a strong financial support system in place to help her, no matter what.
Note from Gordon: If you’re like this client (who wished to remain anonymous), children and grandchildren can mean you’ll pursue legal and financial actions you never thought of before to ensure piece of mind that they’ll be taken care of if something happens to you. There’s no harm in giving me a call or shooting me an email to at least talk about what you may need in terms of an individualized estate plan. I look forward to working with you!