Philanthropy is a powerful tool for social good, and can also support a client’s tax planning goals – but have you considered how philanthropy can also be a powerful tool to deepen relationships with clients for the long haul? In this interactive session, Sean V. Owen Ph.D., CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®, CAP®, Financial Advisor and Partner at Vinoble Group, and Natalie Pond, Gift Planning Advisor at Seattle Foundation will provide tactical approaches to start and deepen conversations about philanthropy with clients. We will show through case studies how these approaches in turn can encourage better collaboration with trusted advisors, support clients in engaging in multi-generational planning, provide financial literacy for the next generation(s) within the family, build AUM, and retain long-term, more satisfying client relationships.
Meet Sean V. Owens, Ph.D., CFP®, CAP®, CRPC®, APMA®
Sean V. Owen is a Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor at Composition Wealth. Believing that clarity of purpose is central to a sound financial plan, he engages our clients in visualizing the lives they want for themselves, their families, and their community. His advice is rooted in the personal, whether creating retirement projections, education planning for younger family members, or preparing for a meaningful purchase. An advocate of charitable planning, Sean also partners with our clients to align their resources with their philanthropic motivations.
Sean was one of the founding Partners of Vinoble Group, a financial consultancy in the Pacific Northwest that merged with Composition Wealth in March 2025.
Sean serves on the professional advisory councils for PAWS, a nonprofit that rehabilitates injured wildlife, and Seattle Foundation, a community advisory group that shares ideas on charitable giving, discusses new issues in philanthropy, and establishes relationships with other local professionals, such as attorneys and accountants, who also advise their clients on dynamic giving strategies. He is a former Board member at Cornish College of the Arts and One Square Inch of Silence.
Sean earned a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Southampton; a M.Mus in Historical Musicology from King's College London; a M.M. in Classical Guitar Performance and a M.M. in Musicology from New England Conservatory; and a B.M. in Classical Guitar Performance from Cornish College of the Arts.
Meet Natalie Pond
Natalie has a decade of experience in the nonprofit world, with a focus on philanthropy 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 other asset-based gifts. She is inspired every day by people’s life journeys and how that intersects with their philanthropy. 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. She is a proud resident of the Pinehurst neighborhood in north Seattle and lives with her partner and dog, Star. Natalie has been working at Seattle Foundation since 2024.
