The 2026 TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation shows real progress over the past 25+ years. Professional advisors (wealth advisors, trust and estate attorneys, and tax advisors) know their high-net-worth (HNW) clients want to discuss philanthropy, and they are discovering the potential that lies in these conversations. We found that 90% of advisors report that discussing philanthropy with HNW clients is good for business, and 92% say it helps establish relationships with new clients.
But there is more to this story. Some of the study’s most valuable findings are about how these conversations happen: what advisors tend to misread, what clients want most, and the strategies that best serve the client and the practice alike. Conversations around philanthropy can be some of the most meaningful – and sometimes challenging – discussions people have about their wealth. However, our 2026 study findings affirm some continuing disconnects.
Most notably, client hesitations around philanthropy aren’t always what advisors assume. Given their financial focus, advisors naturally assume most client hesitations center on wealth preservation. But the decision to give reflects deep personal values. A client’s first question might be how much they can give and for how long, but what happens next may matter more to them.
Before addressing vehicles for giving, and even before looking at issues or organizations to support, HNW clients may start with some broader questions:
- Will my gifts be used wisely?
- Can my impact on an issue or organization be measured?
- How can I create a genuine connection with grantees, or experience community within a cause?
- How can giving forge stronger bonds within my family, including future generations?
Professional advisors also tend to misjudge why their clients want to give. Our research shows that:
- Advisors tend to overweight recognition-oriented motivations, such as being an inspiration to others or enhancing a family name, relative to the impact and personal fulfillment that clients themselves report as their primary reasons for giving.
- Advisors tend to overestimate the role of tax benefits for their HNW clients when it comes to giving and often misjudge the external factors that most affect their clients’ giving patterns.
- Advisors who engage in the most successful philanthropic conversations understand that philanthropy is an opportunity to help a client pursue a greater sense of joy and purpose for their wealth and in their lives.
What Do Clients Want, and What Should Advisors Be Doing?
Uncertainty among advisors about when and how to start and continue these conversations is reflected in the TPI Study as well. Among clients who discuss philanthropy with their advisors, 95% rate their advisor’s ability to discuss personal values and charitable goals as strong, up from 76% in 2018. Yet only 61% report being very satisfied with those conversations. Though satisfaction is up from 45% in 2018, advisors may want to consider the following as they work to push that statistic up:
- More than half of clients would like to see their advisors raise the subject of philanthropy early (i.e., after the first few meetings).
- Strong philanthropic conversations now balance the technical (e.g., tax implications, giving vehicles) and the personal (e.g., values, passions, opportunities to engage other family members) topics.
- Clients do NOT expect their wealth management and financial experts to also be philanthropic specialists. They increasingly understand that a philanthropic advisor can offer a different set of skills to the team in addition to those that wealth advisors already provide. Eighty percent (up from 59% in 2018) of HNW clients want their professional advisor to connect them with additional expertise to address needs beyond their advisor’s knowledge.
The share of clients who name a philanthropic advisor as their most valuable source of giving guidance nearly quadrupled between 2018 and 2026, rising from 6% to 23%. While the role of professional advisors may be different when it comes to philanthropy, savvy advisors know they have an important role to play in their discussions with clients. HNW clients report that:
- They are discussing philanthropy more with advisors than anyone else, including spouses and partners. And when clients name their single most valuable source of giving guidance, professional advisors are among the top three (18%), alongside a spouse or partner (28%) and a philanthropic advisor (23%).
- They don’t expect their advisor to be an expert in everything. What they value is an advisor who stays engaged in the conversation and knows when to bring in the right expertise. The advisor remains the trusted center of the relationship, and collaboration extends that value rather than diluting it.
The bottom line for advisors is that the philanthropic conversation opens doors and deepens relationships with HNW individuals and their families. Keys to more fulfilling discussions include knowing how to start and conduct these conversations, how to create the right balance so HNW clients feel heard and supported, and when to enlist different types of expertise and resources to help clients pursue their philanthropic interests in the ways that matter most to them.
—–
TPI is using the 2026 TPI Study of the Philanthropic Conversation to develop tools, training, and partnerships that support stronger philanthropic conversations across the field. We hope you’ll read the full findings, share the report with your networks, and reach out if you’d like to talk about putting them to work with your 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.
