By Michael Kaufman of Jackson Walker, LLP
MY CLIENT HAD A PROBLEM, or so I learned December 27, 2010. She had been considering donationsfor autism research, but before she could make a final decision, she realized that year-end was only four days away.
In less than 24 hours, we developed a plan for the client to establisha donor-advised fund managed by CFT and structured to achieve her charitable goals. Within days, the details of that agreement were finalized, the agreement signed and the gift funded—all while with the client on the west coast, me on the east coast, and CFT in Dallas.
This smooth year-end transaction shows the high level of service offered by CFT, but it was after the gift that their expertise really came into play. During the past two years, CFT has been the donor’s feet on the ground, meeting with university representatives, strategically structuring a grant to meet the donor’s desires and the university’s needs and generally turning what could have been a complicated transaction for the donor into a smooth and rewarding experience in philanthropy. In the fall, a center devoted to the autism research she supports—and named in her honor—was established at the university though her advised fund.
To learn more about how CFT can work with you, contact Susan Swan Smith, chief relationship officer, at sswansmith@cftexas.org or 214.750.4226.