I just saw an excellent presentation by Kathryn W. Mirree, J.D, called The Top Ten Charitable Planning Ideas for 2008. The seminar was presented by the Planned Giving Council of Greater Memphis and Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Other than raising money long ago for the New York City Food Bank and my secondary school and university, I have traditionally shied away from philanthropy. The feisty author of GiftHub.org has persuaded me that an investment advisor should understand the state of philanthropy, the role of charitable giving in estate planning and how community foundations operate. I always welcome an opportunity to learn more about how life and money flow around me.

Before delving into the top ten ideas, Mirree gave an overview of the state of U.S. charitable giving. Here are a few points to chew on:

• Sources in 2007 totaled $295.02 billion, of which $222.89 (75.6%) came from individuals.
• Of this $295.02 billion, religious organizations received $96.82 billion or 32.8% and education received $40.98 billion, or 13.9%
• According to IRS statistics in 2005, only 31% percent of those filing tax returns claimed itemized charitable deductions, giving $181.6 billion to charity.
• The Boston College Social Welfare Research Institute estimates the intergenerational transfer of wealth expected to occur between 1998 and 2052 as a range from a low of $41 trillion to a high of $136 trillion.