Help every donor create their most meaningful legacy.
Most donors want to give more—they just don’t know how. Our values-based legacy planning services work directly with donors to design gift plans that maximize impact while protecting family goals.
Trusted Perspectives
“The values-based legacy planning model is the way to go—Heaton Smith is part of the Norton Healthcare family.”
Personalized service that honors every donor’s story
Values-based legacy planning process
Using a research-based approach, we help donors explore their values, goals, and capacity, leading to a clear family financial philosophy.
Donor-centric recommendations
Develop personalized gift strategies that balance family needs with philanthropic goals, ensuring donors can support both heirs and charities optimally.
Advisor coordination and documentation
Work directly with donors’ legal and financial advisors to implement recommendations and document blended or estate gifts.
Partner with the trusted experts in values-based legacy planning
Our values-based legacy planning process
Discover: Donors complete a series of research-backed questionnaires designed to uncover their values, goals, and assets.
Clarify: We work alongside donors to develop a family financial philosophy statement that articulates their priorities.
Recommend: Based on each donor’s unique circumstances, we provide donor-centric recommendations that maximize philanthropic capacity while balancing family goals.
Implement: Our team coordinates with each donor’s legal and financial advisors to implement recommendations.
Document: We work between donors and organizations to create gift agreements that ensure each donor’s legacy is honored according to their wishes.
How legacy planning services work
Never. We work as an extension of your team, handling technical gift planning aspects while you maintain the donor relationship. Your organization receives full credit for every gift closed. Donors appreciate the specialized expertise while valuing continuity with your team. This partnership approach combines your relationship with our expertise for optimal results.
Ideal candidates are consistent annual givers with accumulated assets who want to do more but need sophisticated planning. Typically, those with estates over $5 million who care deeply about both family and philanthropy. Also, business owners considering exit strategies, individuals with appreciated assets, and anyone asking, “How can I make a bigger impact?” These donors often have capacity they haven’t recognized.
Donors consistently appreciate the specialized expertise and confidential, objective counsel. The third-party perspective actually increases trust—donors know we have no vested interest in their money, only in helping them achieve their goals. Many say it’s the most meaningful philanthropic conversation they’ve ever had. Over 60% document gifts after our process.
More than 60% of donors who complete our full values-based legacy planning process document a blended or estate gift with our clients. This far exceeds the industry average of approximately 20%. Success comes from our patient, listening-based approach that helps donors discover their own philanthropic goals rather than pushing predetermined outcomes.