Deploying Unique Assets as Part of the Family’s Philanthropic Strategy with Debbie Wilkerson

Today, it is my pleasure to speak with Debbie Wilkerson, President & CEO of Greater Horizons, one of the nation’s largest and most experienced providers of philanthropic services, with more than $6 billion in charitable assets. Since 1998, Debbie has helped build Greater Horizons and its local counterpart, the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, into trusted partners for individuals, families and companies using donor-advised funds and other charitable vehicles to support the causes they care about.

With a background in estate and tax law, Debbie was introduced to philanthropy through her work on Ewing Kauffman’s historic donation of the Kansas City Royals in the 1990s—the first and only time a major league sports team has been gifted to charity. Debbie became President & CEO in 2012 after serving as General Counsel and COO, and under her leadership, Greater Horizons offers a comprehensive giving platform and world-class service, with expertise in complex charitable gifts including private business interests and cryptocurrency.

Debbie and her organization work with families and their enterprises to devise their giving strategies, and she tells us how they help donors identify the assets they want to or should deploy in their philanthropic strategy.

Debbie has extensive experience with donors gifting to charity some exceptional assets, such as the Kansas City Royals team. She highlights the considerations and lessons learned related to deploying unique, non-traditional assets as part of a family’s philanthropic vision and strategy.

Going into the practical aspects of her work with clients, Debbie unpacks the various structures – foundations, DAFs, supporting organizations, etc. – that donors can choose from when it comes to operationalizing their philanthropic vision and plans.

Finally, Debbie offers some useful tips and suggestions to our listeners with regard to the practical tools, frameworks, or resources families and their family offices can engage when devising and implementing their philanthropic giving strategies.

Don’t miss this highly instructive and illuminating conversation with a leading expert and practitioner in the field of family giving and philanthropic strategy.