The new year is a great time to reflect on your goals. This includes refining your philanthropic giving priorities for the year ahead to ensure your investments have the maximum impact for you and the causes you care about most. As part of CVHHH’s partnership with Granite Financial Group in Barre, we’re sharing some tips to help you start 2026 strong with a clear charitable giving strategy.
What’s your Giving Why?
There are likely many organizations within your personal and professional circles that do great work. But, when considering making a philanthropic gift, Bill Patno of Granite Financial Group suggests asking yourself the following questions:
- What causes or charities are most aligned with your values?
- What kind of impact are you hoping to make and in what timeframe?
- What type of recognition is important to you with your giving?
- Do you want to forge deeper relationships or be actively involved with the charities you support?
Create a Giving Plan
After you’ve established a giving framework, it can be helpful to work with a financial advisor to create a giving plan. Your financial advisor can help you choose how you give – making a direct donation, donating through a donor-advised fund, or creating a trust, for example – and how your gifts fit within the scope of your other financial goals.
Revisit the Plan Often
Bill also suggests thinking of your giving plan as a “living, breathing document,” and revisiting it regularly as life events occur or priorities shift.
If you’re interested in creating your giving plan, please contact Granite Financial Group. If you’d like to learn more about CVHHH’s 2026 fundraising priorities and discuss how they align with your philanthropic goals, please contact Emily McKenna, Chief Advancement Officer, at emckenna@cvhhh.org.
Click here to learn more about CVHHH’s partnership with Granite Financial Group.
