Professional Advisors

CICF is a partner you can rely on to help your clients give with clarity and purpose. We work alongside professional advisors to complement your expertise with practical philanthropic guidance and deep knowledge of our community. Whether your client is exploring charitable options, building a long-term giving strategy, or looking to make a more meaningful impact, we’re here to support you and strengthen the service you provide.

$1.4B+ assets managed by CICF
$37M 2025 grants from CICF fundholders

CICF is a trusted resource that helps professional advisors better support their clients’ giving goals. When you combine your expertise in tax planning, wealth management, investment management, or financial and estate planning with CICF’s philanthropic advising and community knowledge, your clients get both strong technical guidance and a thoughtful approach to giving.

Many firms do not have a philanthropic planning expert on staff. That is where CICF comes in. We help expand your practice, bring added value to your clients, and support your lead every step of the way.

Explore Our Offerings

Types of Funds

Array ( [] => [link] => Array ( [type] => url [value] => https://www.cicf.org/explore-fund-options/ [url] => https://www.cicf.org/explore-fund-options/ [name] => https://www.cicf.org/explore-fund-options/ [title] => Explore [target] => ) [cta_options] => Array ( [] => [icon_location] => left [icon] => Array ( [icon] => arrow--right ) [button_color] => Array ( [color] => default ) [button_style] => solid ) )
Explore

Legacy Giving

Array ( [] => [link] => Array ( [type] => url [value] => https://www.cicf.org/legacy-giving [url] => https://www.cicf.org/legacy-giving [name] => https://www.cicf.org/legacy-giving [title] => Explore [target] => ) [cta_options] => Array ( [] => [icon_location] => left [icon] => Array ( [icon] => arrow--right ) [button_color] => Array ( [color] => default ) [button_style] => solid ) )
Explore

Current Fundholder Resources

Array ( [] => [link] => Array ( [type] => url [value] => https://www.cicf.org/fundholders/ [url] => https://www.cicf.org/fundholders/ [name] => https://www.cicf.org/fundholders/ [title] => Explore [target] => ) [cta_options] => Array ( [] => [icon_location] => left [icon] => Array ( [icon] => arrow--right ) [button_color] => Array ( [color] => default ) [button_style] => solid ) )
Explore

How We Support You and Your Clients

Impact

  • Connecting donors to the local nonprofit community
  • Convening cross-sector partnerships to solve community-wide issues
  • Marshalling resources with donors for maximum impact
  • Addressing urgent local, national, and international needs

Service

  • Dedicated personal philanthropic advisors and custom charitable solutions
  • Multi-generation family philanthropic tools and resources for a lasting legacy
  • Community knowledge to understand the community’s greatest needs and connect donors as needs align with their interests
  • Connection with other charitable-minded individuals and the opportunity to learn together about local issues

Flexibility

  • Funds can be actively managed by a donor’s investment manager
  • More tax-wise tools and solutions than other commercial charitable funds
  • Robust succession planning
  • Flexible grantmaking strategy

Let's Connect

Use the form below to ask a question, request resources, set up a conversation, or talk through a client’s charitable goals. We’ll follow your lead and provide the insight and support you need.

Preferred Method of Communication

Resources to Support Your Philanthropic Advising

Array ( [] => [link] => Array ( [type] => url [value] => https://www.cicf.org/resources-for-professional-advisors/ [url] => https://www.cicf.org/resources-for-professional-advisors/ [name] => https://www.cicf.org/resources-for-professional-advisors/ [title] => See All Resources [target] => ) [cta_options] => Array ( [] => [icon_location] => 0 [icon] => Array ( [icon] => ) [button_color] => Array ( [color] => default ) [button_style] => outlined ) )
See All Resources
May 21, 2026
Balancing gifts to heirs with the community’s future
Many families today are rethinking traditional estate planning approaches. Rather than automatically passing all assets to heirs, some donors are considering how their wealth can support both future generations and the long-term wellbeing of the communities they care about.
May 20, 2026
Indiana Students Still Believe in Education. Too Many Can’t Enroll. What the Data Means and How Our Community Can Help.
As financial resources tighten, donors’ attention naturally turns to what feels most immediate – food, housing, and health, for example. That can leave parks, trails, public spaces and neighborhood beautification feeling secondary or, even worse, indulgent. But research says it should still be a priority.
May 4, 2026
Jennifer Bartenbach: We need clearly defined roles for Indiana’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors
A post-tax-season guide from the CICF Collaborative on smarter charitable giving. Learn three common donor regrets and practical fixes: donating appreciated assets, bunching gifts, and getting documentation right.
April 22, 2026
Tax season debrief: Three common regrets
A post-tax-season guide from the CICF Collaborative on smarter charitable giving. Learn three common donor regrets and practical fixes: donating appreciated assets, bunching gifts, and getting documentation right.
April 17, 2026
Navigating a charitable client’s concentrated stock position 
Important reasons why discussing charitable giving is beneficial for both you and your client.  
March 27, 2026
When a Gift Isn’t a Check, We Can Still Help
Most charitable gifts are simple: you write a check, click “donate,” or send a stock transfer. But every so often, generosity shows up in a form that’s a little more complex.  Recently, one of our nonprofit partners, FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic, found themselves in that exact moment.
March 23, 2026
Why 2026 is different: Four tax-time reminders
New tax rules make charitable planning more nuanced in 2026. This article previews how CICF can help donors and their advisors think through deductions, documentation, QCDs, and giving strategies with greater clarity.
March 20, 2026
Behind clients’ anxiety: It’s not all because of taxes
A client’s charitable hesitation is not always about tax strategy. This article shows how CICF helps advisors move client conversations forward by addressing concerns about control, family dynamics, timing, and too many choices.
March 20, 2026
Three scenarios for tax season and time-sensitive tips
Tax season is one of the best times for charitable planning. This article previews how CICF can help professional advisors navigate QCDs, business succession, and gifts of appreciated assets with clients.
February 20, 2026
Can charitable dollars go to support individuals?
At the CICF Collaborative, one of the most common questions we field from donors and their advisors is whether charitable funds can be distributed directly to specific people in need as opposed to larger organizations. This instinct makes sense, but as you’d expect, grants to individuals live in a carefully regulated corner of tax law...
February 20, 2026
Coordinating with other advisors? Clients depend on it
Most clients rely on a team of professionals to guide them through tax, legal, and financial decisions. This is where collaboration (including working with the team at CICF Collaborative) becomes especially important.
February 20, 2026
Is the check still in the mail? Advising clients on other ways to give
Many nonprofit donors still default to writing checks. Should they? While checks feel simple and reliable, they introduce real friction for both donors and charities.