What does it take to engage high-net-worth (“HNW”) clients in meaningful philanthropic conversations? While about 60% of clients say they are satisfied with conversations they have about philanthropy with their professional advisors, the recent TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation highlights a significant opportunity for advisors to strengthen their approach.
With that in mind, I’d like to offer a quick primer on how to talk with your clients about philanthropy, what a philanthropic advisor can bring to the table, and when it makes sense to bring one in.
How You Can Start the Philanthropic Conversation
TPI’s 2026 survey found that nearly 100% of HNW clients expect professional advisors to discuss philanthropy with them. They are educating themselves and looking to explore more than the technical aspects of their wealth. Clients want to ensure their giving aligns with their personal values. They are seeking to unlock a greater meaning or purpose that wealth can enable.
While talking about philanthropy might be out of your comfort zone, it’s more about initiating the conversation and less about being a philanthropy expert. For many professional advisors, the most important role is simply to help your clients take that first step – to know that any amount is a good starting point, that clients will learn and evolve along their philanthropic journey, and that you are there to listen, guide, and point them to resources that can support them.
It is never too early to ask how philanthropy might fit into your client’s aspirations, both short-term and long-term. A simple approach is to incorporate questions about philanthropy as part of an initial informative discussion with new clients, or in conversations with clients about legacy. The conversation can start broadly around a client’s current charitable contributions, and may lead to ideas, questions, and thoughts on what kinds of impact the client would like to have going forward.
As clients learn more about philanthropy, they may realize they want to become more strategic and ambitious. In some situations, philanthropic advisors can be a valuable resource to you, your clients, or both, providing specialized counsel on common challenges.
Strategic philanthropy complements wealth management but is a distinct discipline. Just as asset managers, CPAs, estate and business lawyers, and family office staff contribute specialized expertise; philanthropic advisors bring unique skills and experience to help clients achieve their philanthropic goals. Examples include helping clients find a focus, articulate their goals, engage the next generation, develop philanthropic strategies or initiatives, identify funding opportunities that fit their goals, and assess impact.
Clients increasingly recognize this distinction: many report that their philanthropic needs exceed their professional advisors’ knowledge, and 80% of HNW clients prefer a referral to a philanthropic specialist when appropriate. Advisors, in turn, report that involving specialists strengthens client relationships overall. For many clients, the result may be a close circle of advisors who can seamlessly provide the support and resources needed for the donor(s) to live out their philanthropic passions and make a real difference on the issues they care about.
When to Enlist a Philanthropic Advisor
Professional advisors increasingly have specialized philanthropic advisory firms like TPI “in their back pocket” to expand the conversation as soon as clients indicate they are ready for it. Common situations where experienced philanthropic advisors can be valuable include:
- Shifting from reactive to proactive giving. Strategic philanthropy helps clients shift from giving in response to requests into an intentional plan to focus at least some resources on needs and issues of greatest concern to the client.
- Engaging other family members, including the next generation. With new perspectives and voices come new expectations and challenges. Experienced philanthropic advisors can play an important role in mediating and merging different viewpoints into shared priorities.
- Expanding giving due to a ramp-up in assets or shifting one’s approach based on new data or events. Finding new angles and opportunities for impact can be part of reshaping a giving program for greater impact, even if the funder continues to pursue the same mission and goals. And for those who expect to ramp up their philanthropic resources, philanthropic advisors can facilitate a well-designed planning process to prepare for that.
- Assessing progress towards goals to refine or revamp philanthropic strategies. Experienced philanthropic advisors can serve as a guide in assessing, learning, and reflecting on philanthropic investments, and are uniquely positioned to raise thoughtful questions, identify fresh opportunities, communicate constructively with grantees, and help funders achieve greater impact over time.
Finding the Right Philanthropic Advisory Partner
The field of philanthropy advising has exploded in recent years, making it critical to identify the right philanthropic specialists to turn to for client support. Consider what types of situations your clients face when additional philanthropy support is needed and find partners or firms that can best serve those needs.
In our experience, this relationship is as much about a philanthropic advisory firm’s culture or “personality fit” as it is about expertise in philanthropic practice and principles. A few questions worth asking as you evaluate a potential partner:
- What’s your experience with situations like my client’s? Look for specific examples, not just general philanthropic expertise.
- How do you structure engagements? An experienced firm should be able to walk you through a clear plan with deliverables and a timeline, whether the client needs a short-term project or a long-term ongoing relationship.
- How do you work alongside a client’s existing advisory team? You want a partner who complements your role and strengthens the client relationship.
- Can you share references from advisors or clients you’ve worked with? A firm’s reputation among peers is often the clearest signal of both their expertise and how they operate day to day.
Once you’ve found a firm that fits both the expertise and the relationship you’re looking for, you’ll have a resource you can turn to with confidence – not just for one client’s needs, but as a standing part of the support you offer going forward.
—
Philanthropy conversations don’t have to be complicated — but knowing when to bring in the right expertise can make all the difference for your clients and your practice. The 2026 TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation offers data-backed guidance for exactly that. We invite you to explore the findings, share them with your team, and reach out to TPI if you’d like to discuss how a partnership might work for your firm and clients.
Read the Executive Summary here or download the full report.
The 2026 TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation was co-sponsored by DAFgiving360™ and Foundation Source, with support from the Boston Foundation.
Photo credit: Igor Suka
