The United States has one of the most favorable tax codes in the world for encouraging philanthropy. And, 75% of Americans in 2025 indicated they plan to maintain or increase their charitable giving. Financial planners have an incredible opportunity to marry smart tax planning with creative philanthropic planning to come up with solutions that have both short and long-term benefits. In this session, we will cover tax and charitable giving basics, how 2026 federal law changes impact charitably inclined clients, Washington state capital gains tax and the nuances of the charitable deduction, as well as some more sophisticated planning tools with charitable and tax benefits. Finally, we’ll explore how, when it comes to charitably-minded clients, tax savings are one factor – but you as an advisor have an opportunity to help clients deepen their understanding of the impact of their giving that will make the tax savings icing on the philanthropic cake.
Meet Natalie Pond, CAP® I Seattle Foundation
Natalie Pond has a decade of experience in the nonprofit world, primarily within organizations addressing systemic barriers to opportunity. She has leveraged her skills in storytelling, strategy, and relationship-building to fuel vital missions. In recent years, she has focused her professional life on gift planning, helping donors and organizations find meaningful alignment through transformative legacy and asset-based gifts. She is inspired every day by people’s life journeys and how those journeys intersect with their charitable giving. In her role as Gift Planning Advisor at Seattle Foundation, she loves getting the opportunity to work closely with Washington state’s outstanding professional advisor community to help advance a shared goal of promoting smart, integrated philanthropic planning for clients. She holds a BA in English from Whitman College and a Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy, University of Washington. Additionally, Natalie is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy through the American College of Financial Services and a 21/64 Certified Advisor in Multigenerational Philanthropy.
