For Advisors

Help Your Clients Create a Ripple of Good

As you guide your clients through important financial decisions, it’s essential to have trusted partners who can offer flexible, smart, and community-minded giving solutions. That’s where West Central Initiative can be a powerful ally.

Why Partner with Us?

At West Central Initiative, we want to be another arrow in the quiver of services you offer your clients. We provide many solutions for charitable giving, tax planning, and relief of administrative burdens.

Because we’re a 501(c)(3), your clients will receive the maximum tax deduction allowed by law, avoid capital gains tax, and possibly be eligible to receive a lifetime income stream. We look at each donation individually and create giving plans that maximize gifts to the community while providing bottom-line benefits to the donor.

We can help:

  •  Identify your client’s charitable giving interests and motivations.
  •  Match personal charitable interests with tax planning needs.
  • Create and implement charitable plans that are integrated into major business, personal, and financial decisions.
  • Assist with complex forms of giving and work with you to implement technical giving instruments.
  • Provide information on community needs, and on the local agencies and programs that make a difference in the areas your clients care about most.
  • Deliver grantmaking expertise and a range of administrative services related to charitable giving.

Connect with Us

Rebecca Lynn Petersen

Rebecca Lynn Petersen

Director of Development and Philanthropic Services

218-998-1612

Camille is smiling with long brown hair. She is wearing a white shirt and black blazer. She is standing in front of a green tree.

Camille Pearson Walz

Development and Philanthropic Services Officer

218-998-1627

Rick Schara

Community Engagement Officer

218-998-1626

Giving Back with Greater Impact

Here are four easy reminders for your clients to continue giving back while making the best use of tax strategies.

We’ve all heard the saying “cash is king.” Most of the time that is a fantastic rule of thumb. But sometimes cash isn’t the best way for your clients to support their philanthropic endeavors. 


Donating appreciated stock held more than one year can generally eliminate capital gains tax your clients would otherwise incur if they sold the assets first and then donated the proceeds. West Central Initiative receives the full value of the gift, and your client’s charitable deduction is based on the average fair market value on the date donated.

Whether or not your client itemizes their tax returns, if they usually give $10,000 each year, it may make sense for them to contribute two years’ worth ($20,000) in one year.

By doing so, it may allow them to receive a tax benefit because their total deductions now exceed the standard deduction. By contributing this to a personal Donor Advised Fund at West Central Initiative, your client can distribute this money over a period of time and not be held to a December 31 deadline.

A Donor Advised Fund at West Central Initiative makes charitable giving tax-smart, simple, and efficient. Once your client makes the establishing gift to open the fund, they have the flexibility to make grants in their name over time, as well as contribute to it again when it makes sense in a given tax year. Plus, they have the expertise of West Central Initiative staff on hand to help connect them to high-impact giving opportunities.

Whether itemizing deductions or taking the standard deduction, if your client is age 70½ and older, they can direct up to $111,000 per year tax-free from their IRAs to West Central Initiative through a Qualified Charitable Distribution. By reducing the IRA balance, a Qualified Charitable Distribution may also reduce their taxable income in future years and lower their taxable estate. 


Further to this, clients may consider naming West Central Initiative as a beneficiary of IRA assets. 501(c)(3) organizations, like West Central Initiative, do not pay tax on IRA income, which means every penny of your client’s donation can be directed, beyond their lifetime, to support all their charitable goals in one plan.

This is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice.

Recent Generosity & Impact News

Connect with Us

Rebecca Lynn Petersen

Rebecca Lynn Petersen

Director of Development and Philanthropic Services

218-998-1612

Camille is smiling with long brown hair. She is wearing a white shirt and black blazer. She is standing in front of a green tree.

Camille Pearson Walz

Development and Philanthropic Services Officer

218-998-1627

Rick Schara

Community Engagement Officer

218-998-1626