20 Years, 20 Voices celebrates the people, charities, donors and partners who have helped shape Sussex Community Foundation over the past two decades.

Tracey Payne is Managing Director of Herbert Scott, an independent financial planning firm based in Lewes and one of Sussex Community Foundation's long-standing professional adviser partners. She shares why conversations about charitable giving are becoming an increasingly important part of financial planning, and how working with the Foundation helps clients give locally with confidence.

Looking beyond wealth

For Tracey, financial planning is about much more than investments and pensions. It’s about helping people use their wealth to live the life they want and leave the legacy they choose.

"We genuinely want our clients to enjoy their money," she says. "We ask them why they've saved it, or why they've inherited it. What would make them happy? Some people want to do fantastic holidays, some want to pass it down to family, and for others, charitable giving becomes a really rewarding conversation."

Rather than treating philanthropy as a separate discussion, Herbert Scott sees it as part of holistic financial planning.

"We wouldn't dream of talking to clients without discussing pensions, investments or tax planning," Tracey explains. "So why wouldn't we also mention charitable giving?"

Helping clients give with confidence

Those conversations don't happen immediately. Instead, they develop once advisers understand a client's goals, values and long-term plans.

"It's usually when we've completed their onboarding process and come up with a strategy," says Tracey. "By then, we've learned what their goals and objectives are and whether charitable giving is something they want to explore."

For many clients, particularly those considering inheritance planning, giving offers the opportunity to decide where their wealth can make a difference.

"People often tell us they don't want to save every penny of tax, because the country needs it," she says. "But once they realise they can choose where some of that money goes instead, it opens up a really positive conversation about the causes they care about."

Why local giving matters

While clients support a wide range of causes, Tracey believes many are keen to make a difference close to home.

"I think people do want to see the benefit of giving in their own communities," she says.

For Herbert Scott, partnering with Sussex Community Foundation makes those conversations easier.

"It takes away at lot of the legwork," she explains. " The Foundation knows the local charity landscape, carries out all the due diligence and introduces clients to organisations they would probably never have discovered on their own. They’re also part of the UKCF network of 47 Community Foundation, which gives me even more confidence.”

That means advisers can confidently connect clients with trusted opportunities to support local communities.

Responding to changing financial planning

Tracey has also seen charitable giving become increasingly relevant as changes to inheritance tax rules bring more families into estate planning conversations.

“Some of our clients like feeling in control of where their money is going and this leads easily into conversations about charitable giving. For some clients, it's about leaving a legacy. For others, it's about making a difference during their lifetime and seeing the impact while they're still here."

A trusted partner for advisers

For Tracey, the Foundation has become a natural extension of the service Herbert Scott offers its clients.

"It's an additional service that helps us achieve what clients want," she says. "This is what Sussex Community Foundation does every day. Why should our clients know about every local charity when they don't need to? That's your expertise."

She also believes the partnership reflects positively on advisers.

"It shows we're putting our clients first, not simply focusing on the wealth we're managing," she says. "If I was talking to another adviser, I'd ask why they wouldn't work with Sussex Community Foundation. I can only see a positive response to it."

Find out more

Are you a professional advisor with a client who wants to give back to their community? Find the most efficient and effective route to achieving your client’s philanthropic goals with help from Sussex Community Foundation.