Blog Posts

You’ve no doubt noticed that Qualified Charitable Distributions (“QCDs”) continue to gain traction as one of the most practical and effective charitable planning tools for clients over age 70 ½. By allowing eligible clients to transfer funds directly from an IRA to a...

If you’re like many advisors, you may have discovered that often charitable giving conversations begin (and end!) with cash or appreciated stock. And of course, you are well aware that appreciated stock is an excellent choice for your clients to fund a donor-advised...

After nearly two decades working at East Texas Communities Foundation, I have recently come to a simple epiphany, an “aha” moment, regarding helping people establish their charitable legacy. As Smokey Bear has proclaimed since 1947, “Only you can prevent forest...

East Texas Communities Foundation is currently accepting applications from East Texas students for scholarships to be awarded for the 2026-27 academic year. The deadline for submission of the online application is March 1, 2026. Detailed eligibility criteria and links...

It’s hard to find the perfect gift. I was reminded recently why charitable giving is so important and may just be the perfect gift. East Texas Communities Foundation was contacted by the Plunkett family in 2020 to help them solve a difficult dilemma. Members of the...

Giving season has arrived. There has been a noticeable uptick in phone calls to East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF) and several area professional advisors have pulled me aside at recent local events to tell me they are working with clients on end-of-year giving...

East Texas Communities Foundation is a public charity that manages over 450 unique charitable funds. These 450 funds are not separate legal entities like charitable trusts would be at a local trust department. Neither are they accounts which an individual owns, like a...

After months of work and thousands of soundbites from all points along the political spectrum, Congress delivered, and the President signed, the Big, Beautiful Bill. H.R. 1 is the budget reconciliation bill which is probably the most substantial piece of federal...

As we near another anniversary of our “American Experiment”, I’m reminded of the many freedoms we enjoy as U.S. Citizens contained in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. You only have to catch a little bit of news to recognize that not everyone around the...

When I received my Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation from the American College of Financial Services I was awarded a nice certificate to frame and hang in my office and a gold lapel pin. The pin did not boldly proclaim “CAP” or “The American College”, it...