Philanthropic advisory

We help bring your philanthropic mission and legacy to life by designing a personalized strategy that aims to create meaningful positive impact.

For centuries, the world’s wealthiest individuals and families have sought to serve humanity and promote the wellbeing of others through their philanthropy.

A reflection of collective identity and deeply held values, a family’s philanthropy is part of its legacy to make the world a better place.

Philanthropy can also bring families closer together, enriching the lives of their individual members and strengthening the bonds between generations.

Our Philanthropic Advisory service helps you craft a bespoke strategic framework that seeks to create meaningful impact and a lasting legacy.

We begin by helping you define your desired legacy, your mission statement, and the guidelines for giving and investing that will provide structure and direction around your philanthropy.

We help you navigate the statutory compliance requirements of various giving vehicles like donor-advised funds, private foundations and charitable remained trusts. We also share best practices, connecting you to industry professionals who can provide additional infrastructure support.

We help you consider the various granting models at your disposal and how you might deploy investment assets in support of your philanthropic mission.

Throughout the implementation of your philanthropic strategy, we offer tools to track and evaluate its impact.

In addition to private philanthropy services for families, we advise foundations, endowments, and public charities on a wide range of planning opportunities and challenges.

Whether you are just beginning your philanthropic journey or are well on your way, we partner with you to help perpetuate your legacy as you serve the greater good.

We help guide clients in their philanthropic endeavors to create a strategic framework that brings their legacy and mission to life.

Karen Kardos
Head of Philanthropic Advisory

How we serve you

Your vision at the center
We recognize each family is unique, with its own values, beliefs, philanthropic goals, and family dynamics.

Rather than take a one size fits all approach, we customize our offering to your family’s culture and circumstances.

We can also help you prepare for and navigate the often sensitive discussions between family members as you engage the next generation in the family's philanthropy.

Ongoing insights
Our updates and advisory services on current philanthropic trends help you stay abreast of this ever changing landscape.

To amplify your philanthropic impact, it is important to understand the latest developments and their implications for your mission.

Our regular networking events can connect you to fellow philanthropists and industry experts where we share best practices and strategies.

Integrated approach
A successful philanthropic strategy is built upon multiple pillars.

In addition to philanthropic advisory, we offer a variety of ancillary services to help accomplish your goals.

These include investmentstreasury management, global custody, and trust services.

Meet our people

Global Head

Karen Kardos

Global Head of Philanthropic Advisory
Karen's LinkedIn profile

Karen provides philanthropic advice and services to families, foundations, and endowments on strategic development and best practices to meet their philanthropic goals.

Previously, Karen served for 10 years as the Director of Finance and Philanthropic Operations for a private foundation in the multifamily office practice of Geller & Co. In addition to advising clients on philanthropic strategies, she is also well versed in private foundation operations, governance, and compliance.  

Karen is a 21/64 Multigenerational Advisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Binghamton University.

Global Head

Harlin Singh Urofsky

Global Head of Sustainable Investing
Citi Global Wealth Investments
Harlin's LinkedIn profile
We enable investors to pursue simultaneous societal change and competitive financial returns.

Harlin works across Citi’s investment divisions to develop and embed a global framework along the full spectrum of sustainability to ensure its alignment with Citi’s best thinking on portfolio management, research and asset allocation. This includes environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration, socially responsible, thematic and impact investments.

Harlin is an observing member of the Global Investment Committee and oversees Investing with Purpose, our sustainable investing platform. She is also a representative on Citi’s Net Zero Task Force, entrusted with the group’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Prior to joining Citi in 2017, she served as Associate Director of innovative finance at the Milken Institute. Before that, Harlin spent over a decade as a capital markets and foreign exchange specialist, advising ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices at Deutsche Bank and Citi, having begun her career at Lehman Brothers. She also served as an adjunct professor of impact investing at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Harlin holds an undergraduate degree in finance from Rutgers University and a master’s in public administration from New York University.

Your questions

Families need to be strategic in their giving if they want to create meaningful impact. There are a number of questions you can use as a starting point for family discussions to begin to frame and focus your philanthropy.

Learn more about creating impact through philanthropy

Adherence to statutory and best practice compliance provides a solid underpinning for a successful philanthropic approach to help you engage in more focused and impactful philanthropy and avoid unintended consequences.

Learn more about compliance when giving

Whether you are expanding and deepening initiatives or just beginning to put your philanthropic approach into action, understanding the landscape can help target the best way to support your nonprofit partners.

Learn more about picking and supporting nonprofit organizations

Developing milestones and a monitoring and evaluation framework can help ensure you maximize your impact.

Learn more about measuring philanthropic impact

Philanthropy resources

See more of the insights we offer you by exploring our white papers about philanthropic giving and creating positive impact.

Insights

See our philanthropic advisory insights and the issues that matter for your wealth.

View all insights

Insights

See our philanthropic advisory insights and the issues that matter for your wealth.

View all insights
Contact us

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