A 34-year legal industry veteran, Attorney Steve Davis began his professional journey as a tax and transitional lawyer with Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has developed an expertise in estate and trust planning, post-death administration, income and transactional tax planning, business mergers and acquisitions.

Early on in his developing legal career, Steve formed a mutually-beneficial partnership with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation that would last more than three decades, helping him fulfill the charitable goals of numerous clients as well as himself. The relationship has helped Steve uncover charitable, tax-wise solutions and offer quality giving plans that serve his clients' charitable wishes with perpetual benefits.   

Steve's confidence in the Community Foundation matched with his clients' success validated his decision to establish his family's donor advised fund in 2000 that is used as their main charitable-giving vehicle. 

"The income we receive from liquidity events is used to make fund contributions with immediate tax advantages," said Steve. "The endowed fund retains the necessary stamina for my family to make ongoing monthly distributions to the various charities we have an interest in. It's a win-win!"

A strong advocate of endowment, Steve spearheaded the Community Foundation's board of trustees in 2013 and investment committee from 2010 to 2013 and has served as a member of the investment committee and the board since 2002 and 2007 respectively.  

"I am honored to have worked with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for the last 30 years," said Steve. "The number of different ways the Community Foundation streamlines charitable giving is amazing. Using the client's charitable objectives, the Community Foundation assists me in tailoring cost- and tax-efficient solutions to overcome presented dilemmas, providing greater peace of mind for my clients."

Let the Oklahoma City Community Foundation help you better serve your charitable-minded clients using gift planning vehicles that produce maximum tax advantages! Find out more by visiting our website, or contact Joe Carter to learn more today at 405/606-2914.

Are you ensuring the nonprofits to which your clients give are accurately reporting their financials and planning for a long and successful future? This article illustrates a charity's reporting responsibilities as well as the professional advisor's role in investigating the sustainability of a donor's gift.

In 2012, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation established GiveSmartOKC.org, a local directory for charitable organizations to accurately display their financials, mission, governance and programs. The site is the perfect platform for you to sit down with your clients and learn how and where the nonprofit is using donations, providing you with assurance that your client's donation will truly make a difference.

Alongside wills and trusts, beneficiary designations are becoming increasingly popular as part of a complete estate plan. A variety of assets can be transferred through a simple designation form, which also allows individuals to bypass a probate and designate who will receive each specific asset. Though the process seems straightforward, problems can arise and mistakes can be made when individuals execute these forms without a complete understanding of how they operate. Learn more about the complexities of beneficiary designation deeds, or transfer on death (TOD) deeds, and the process required to set up a TOD designation for real property and vehicles here.
        

Andrew Shepard joined the Oklahoma City Community Foundation development team in June 2016 after a previous tenure at City Rescue Mission. Andrew assists Joe Carter and his team by processing donor gifts made to the funds we administer followed by sending the donor a gift acknowledgement.

"In my role at the Community Foundation, I am privileged to experience firsthand the philanthropic generosity of a great number of donors," says Andrew. "Knowing so many charitable people love to help our community is a great feeling, and I am fortunate to work alongside a great staff to help our donors fulfill their philanthropic goals!"

Joe Carter and his development team are ready to help you and your charitable-minded clients accomplish their planned giving goals. Find out more by contacting Joe today at 405/606-2914.   
         

 

Contact:
Joe Carter
Director, Development
j.carter@occf.org
405/606-2914

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