As tax laws and market dynamics continue to shift, it is important for attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors to be aware of two increasingly distinct groups of donors. On one hand, the high federal estate tax exemption and new restrictions on itemizing charitable...

For many attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, the tax law changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are old news. That is not the case for many of your clients! While you’ve been busy reading dozens of articles and evaluating how the changes will impact your...

Recent market volatility is a timely reminder that charitable planning is about more than performance—it’s about perspective.  Periods of geopolitical tension, rising energy prices, and shifting inflation expectations can create uncertainty for clients. Even when...

Meet Shelby Folga, the Executive Director of St. Patrick’s Haven. During college, Shelby briefly experienced homelessness herself, sleeping in her car and relying on the kindness of others while trying to continue her education. As the emotional and physical toll of...

I was working as a reporter at the Corry Journal some 35 years ago when I was handed an assignment to write a story about a new private charitable foundation that had been established to benefit Corry. In my 30s at the time, I knew nothing about foundations when the...

“Charitable lead trust” is far from a household word, and you might not run across the need for one very often in your practice. They sure do come in handy in certain client situations, though. At The Erie Community foundation, we are happy to establish a...

With support from The North East Community Foundation (NECF) and other partners, the McCord Memorial Library completed a critical elevator modernization project to ensure continued accessibility for all patrons. Originally installed in the early 1990s, the library’s...

As you work with clients who have established a private foundation, it is not uncommon for the conversation to eventually turn to whether this structure still makes sense. What began as a seemingly logical vehicle for organizing a family’s philanthropy can, over time, become administratively burdensome, especially as leadership transitions to the next generation. In many cases, transferring a private foundation’s assets to a donor-advised fund at The Erie Community Foundation can offer a simpler and more flexible path forward.