Faith-Based Financial Guidance with Craig Johnston, MBA • Independent • Fee-Only
Faith-Based Financial Guidance with Craig Johnston, MBA • Independent • Fee-Only
Estate planning is more than distributing assets — it’s the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy that reflects everything you’ve built and believed. As a fee-only fiduciary, we help individuals, families, and donor prospects evaluate every available giving vehicle with complete transparency. No product sales. No referral commissions. Just clear, unconflicted guidance aligned with your long-term goals.
Most people with charitable intentions never act on them — not because they lack generosity, but because they lack clarity. A well-structured planned giving strategy allows you to support the organizations and causes you care about while protecting your family, reducing your tax burden, and building a legacy that endures. We take a comprehensive view of your estate, income, and charitable goals to identify the strategies that serve all of them at once.
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” — Proverbs 13:22
We review your estate documents, asset inventory, income needs, family structure, and charitable intentions to map your current situation against your long-term goals.
We analyze all available structures — bequests, trusts, annuities, donor-advised funds, and more — to identify which options fit your situation and which don’t, with clear explanations at every step.
Planned giving strategies are implemented in coordination with your estate attorney, CPA, and broader financial plan to ensure legal structure and financial strategy are fully aligned.
Estate plans and giving structures are reviewed regularly as tax law, family circumstances, and charitable priorities evolve — ensuring your plan stays current and effective.
There is no single best structure for charitable giving. The right vehicle depends on your age, income needs, estate size, tax situation, and the organizations you want to support. Here are the six most widely used planned giving options:
The simplest planned gift. Name a charity as a beneficiary in your will or revocable trust. No cost during your lifetime, fully revocable, and effective for estates of any size.
Transfer appreciated assets into an irrevocable trust. Avoid immediate capital gains, receive a partial charitable deduction, and generate a lifetime income stream — with the remainder passing to charity.
Make a lump-sum gift to a charity in exchange for a fixed income stream for life. Simple to establish, partially tax-free income, and a partial charitable deduction at the time of the gift.
The charity receives the income stream first; your heirs receive the remainder at the end of the trust term. An estate planning tool as much as a giving vehicle — reduces taxable transfers to the next generation.
Contribute cash or appreciated assets to a giving account, take an immediate deduction, and recommend grants to qualifying charities over time. Ideal for bunching deductions or organizing multi-year giving.
For IRA holders aged 70½ or older: transfer up to $105,000 directly to a qualifying charity, excluded entirely from taxable income. The most tax-efficient giving mechanism for retirees who do not itemize.
| Gift Type | Primary Tax Benefit | Income Stream | Complexity |
| Bequest | Estate tax reduction | None | Low |
| Charitable Remainder Trust | Capital gains deferral + income deduction | Yes — variable or fixed | High |
| Charitable Gift Annuity | Partial income deduction | Yes — fixed for life | Low–Medium |
| Charitable Lead Trust | Gift/estate tax reduction | To charity, not donor | High |
| Donor-Advised Fund | Immediate income deduction | None | Low |
| Qualified Charitable Distribution | Excluded from taxable income | None | Low |
Planned giving decisions don’t exist in isolation. Every structure we recommend is evaluated in the context of your investment portfolio, tax situation, retirement timeline, and family legacy goals. This integrated approach ensures your charitable plan supports — rather than conflicts with — your long-term financial objectives.
Our estate planning and charitable giving services are designed for individuals and families who want to give intentionally, protect their heirs, and minimize unnecessary tax liability — with guidance they can trust.
For those seeking to align their estate plan with their values and ensure assets pass to the right people and causes.
Optimizing QCDs, RMD strategy, and legacy structures during the years when giving decisions carry the greatest tax impact.
Independent, unconflicted guidance for major donors evaluating a planned gift — with no affiliation or commission arrangement with the referring organization.
Clients whose giving plan should reflect the same convictions as their investment portfolio. Pairs directly with our Faith-Based Portfolio Review.
As a fee-only fiduciary firm, our estate and charitable giving recommendations are based solely on what benefits you. We have no commission arrangements with charities, trust companies, attorneys, or insurance carriers. We don’t sell annuities or life insurance to fund giving structures. Our goal is straightforward: help you build a legacy that reflects your values — and keep more of your wealth in the process.
Many of our planned giving clients discover that aligning their investment portfolio with their faith is as important as structuring their estate correctly. Our Faith-Based Portfolio Review evaluates your current holdings against biblically responsible investing (BRI) and ESG criteria — for a flat $38 evaluation fee — so your assets reflect your values from accumulation through distribution.
Evaluate your current portfolio against faith-aligned criteria covering industry exclusions and shareholder advocacy standards.
A transparent, one-time fee to review your holdings — no ongoing commitment required to get started.
Portfolio alignment and planned giving work together. We coordinate both so your financial life speaks the same language as your legacy.
We discuss your estate situation, charitable intentions, family structure, and any existing documents or giving commitments already in place.
We analyze your asset inventory, tax picture, retirement income, and estate documents to identify the giving structures best suited to your goals.
We present 2–3 giving scenarios side by side — modeled with projected tax savings, income outcomes, and charitable impact — with clear explanations before any decision is made.
We work alongside your estate attorney and CPA to implement the plan. We don’t draft legal documents, but we coordinate across disciplines to ensure your financial strategy and legal structure are fully aligned.
Our complimentary 45-minute consultation is a no-commitment conversation to understand your situation and explore whether we’re the right fit.
