The best time to start Giving Season conversations with clients is before the season actually starts. By December, charitable decisions get squeezed between tax deadlines, holiday plans, and year-end paperwork. Raise giving this fall, while there’s still time to think, and a last-minute scramble turns into a plan.

Clients are ready for it. According to AEF’s Unlocking Generosity report, 87% of clients want charitable planning advice, yet only 6% say they receive it from their advisor. That is the charitable planning gap, and fall is the easiest time of year to start closing it.

Why raise giving before December?

Waiting until December often means that pressing year-end tasks will crowd out charitable decisions. Unlocking Generosity names lack of time and urgency as a core reason clients delay giving. Without deadlines, philanthropic action can slide indefinitely. The paper recommends that advisors make time for the discussion even when clients aren’t asking for it and help clients set deadlines of their own. Looking ahead, some clients choose to donate early in the yearto avoid the crunch entirely.

An early conversation about giving also protects the client-advisor relationship. Clients who don’t receive guidance and decide in a hurry often act alone, which is how many clients open a DAF without their advisor.

Which clients should you call first?

Start with the clients whose giving is already in motion and continue from there. Three groups tend to be the easiest first calls:

  • Clients who give every December out of habit. Their generosity is real but reactive. A fall conversation is the simplest way to make it intentional.
  • Clients heading into a strong income year. Higher-than-usual earnings make that year’s giving worth extra planning.
  • Clients who have mentioned a cause. If a client has brought up a school, a congregation, or a local nonprofit, the door is already open.

What should you say to open the conversation?

Assume the client wants to give and ask which causes matter most. Unlocking Generosity notes that asking, “Do you want to make a gift this year?” can feel optional. However, “Which cause do you want to support first?” assumes action and helps clients move forward.

Doug Liptak of Signature FD, as quoted in Unlocking Generosity, puts it plainly to clients: “Money is going somewhere. We need to talk about where it is going.” From there, the question is timing: Now, soon, or later? There are plenty of questions to ask clients about their charitable giving that will open up an honest conversation.

How does a donor-advised fund help clients act before the rush?

A DAF separates the decision to give from the decision about where to give. A client can contribute this fall, have the contribution count for this tax year, and recommend grants to charities when they’re ready. Some advisors establish a donor-advised fund now and fund it later so the account is ready the moment the client is. Throughout the process, the assets stay under your management.

Common Questions About Giving Season Conversations With Clients

Here are answers to a couple of common questions advisors have when raising year-end giving.

Do clients need to choose their charities before year-end?

No. With a DAF, the contribution happens this year, and grant recommendations can follow later.

What if a client wants to wait until after the holidays to think about giving?

Suggest opening a DAF now so the account is in place. The client can fund it before year-end and take their time choosing charities when the timing is right for them.

Make the Most of Giving Season: Open a DAF for Your Client

Pick a client from one of the groups above and start the conversation now. When they’re ready, open a DAF for your client through AEF’s Partner Gateway, or contact our team to talk through the client you have in mind.