Leaving a Philanthropic Legacy

Feb 19, 2020 | Estate Planning & Administration, Understanding Trust Administration

Charitable planning is important to many families and can leave a lasting impact on organizations or causes that align with the family’s interests and values. Often, clients want to pass the philanthropic spirit down to future generations. Our directed trustee platform allows the family to remain involved in the management and goals of the trust or foundation, while we assist in the day-to-day administration tasks. Our team serves as an independent resource to clients by providing a high level of service in addressing personal needs. We customize an administrative strategy based on the governing instrument and the client’s unique needs and remain as flexible as possible as goals evolve and change over time. By working with Cumberland Trust, a directed trustee, family members are empowered to take part in the management of the foundation or trust. By providing education to beneficiaries and administrative support, we help to carry out the family’s philanthropic legacy. The following list illustrates some common foundation services we can provide.
  • Help family members understand the legacy and intent of the grantor/donor
  • Coordinate family meetings
  • Provide minutes from family meetings
  • Provide assistance with calculated distributions
  • Manage grant request submissions and present them to the family for further review
  • Research organizations making grant requests
  • Handle distributions to grant recipients
  • Maintain records and reporting
We understand that a family foundation or trust can offer a tremendous opportunity to pass on important family values of stewardship and a commitment to helping others. At Cumberland Trust, we are skilled in navigating complicated family relationships to provide a voice for all interested parties while still following the guidelines set up by the original benefactor.