Philanthropy resources for advisors

An upcoming webinar will explore how to be a better advisor and “amplify your impact” across your business.

The Advisor Insights Lab, hosted by InvestmentNews and sponsored by Thrivent Advisor Network, will bring together industry leaders from Thrivent Advisor Network, Mission Wealth, Parable Wealth Partners, Advent Partners, The American College of Financial Services and the Foundation for Financial Planning. The leaders “will provide actionable strategies to building a profitable and purpose-driven business.”

Jennifer Lehman, program director and Wallace Chair in Philanthropy at the American College of Financial Services, will be one of those industry leaders.

“I hope advisors get some key takeaways for themselves and they know where to go to find the courses and find good information. They may even think of ways to be better advisors,” she said. “Maybe even some renewed energy and passion toward doing that, because it's been a rough few years for everybody.”

Lehman earned her Ph.D. in financial planning at Texas Tech University, where she was mentored by Russell James.

“He was my dissertation chair,” she said. “People in the philanthropy world tend to be very familiar with that name.”

From there, Lehman’s focus was estate planning and charitable planning.

“One thing I love about the financial services industry is it tends to be a lot of intelligent people that want to help other people,” she said. “I grew up in a family of social workers and I knew I wanted to help people, but just not that way.”

Lehman highlighted what the chartered advisor in philanthropy program at the American College offers for advisors interested in enrolling.

“Through the CAP program, there's about a dozen readings per unit. CAP is the only program of its kind,” she said. “There are a couple other philanthropy programs, like the Lilly School at Indiana University, which is excellent … but ours is unique.”

Lehman added that rather than just relying on textbooks, the program offers students journal articles and reports from Giving USA and National Philanthropic Trust, to name just a few.

Alumni often print the articles out and put them in a binder to refer to later, she said. “Once you know the resources out there [for philanthropy], you know to look for it every year.”  

When asked what organizations advisors can go to for their philanthropic clients, Lehman cited the National Center for Family Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (formerly the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning) and The American College’s Center for Philanthropy & Social Impact.

Through her experience in the education and financial advice sectors, Lehman said it’s been fulfilling to be able to assist people.

“You're helping people achieve their goals, and I also appreciate pulling in some ideas from positive psychology, where we're not just getting people to survive but really thrive,” she said.

The Advisor Insights Lab takes place virtually Thursday at 11 a.m. Registration is ongoing and is free to attend. For more information and to sign up, click here.