Most advisors don’t struggle with believing in charitable planning. 

They struggle with how to bring it up. 

They know charitable conversations can deepen relationships, support better planning outcomes, resonate strongly with high-net-worth clients, and even help grow their business—but in practice, these conversations are often delayed or avoided altogether. 

Not because advisors don’t care. 
Because starting the conversation can feel awkward, premature, or risky. 

Why Advisors Hesitate Even When the Opportunity Is There 

Across firms and client types, we hear the same concerns: 

• “I don’t want to open a door I can’t confidently walk through.” 
• “What if the client isn’t interested and it feels forced?” 
• “I’m not a charitable planning expert—what if I say the wrong thing?” 

These concerns are understandable. Charitable planning often intersects with personal values, family dynamics, taxes, and legacy. It’s not a checkbox topic. 

But here’s the key insight: 

Advisors don’t need perfect expertise to initiate a strong charitable conversation. They need the right language. 

Charitable Conversations Don’t Start With Strategies 

They start with recognition. 

Recognition that: 

• A liquidity event has created new planning flexibility 
• Capital gains are becoming a pain point 
• A client is thinking about legacy, family, or long-term impact 
• A tax conversation is quietly turning into a values conversation 

 In those moments, the goal isn’t to recommend a solution. 
It’s simply to open the conversation—clearly, professionally, and without pressure. 

The Advisors Who Do This Well Rely on Language, Not Improvisation 

Advisors who integrate charitable planning effectively don’t “wing it.” 

They rely on: 

• A small set of opening phrases they’re comfortable using 
• Simple ways to bridge from tax or planning discussions into giving 
• Clear language that keeps conversations productive without overcommitting 

This doesn’t make conversations scripted or impersonal. 
It makes them calmer, more focused, and more client-centered. 

You Don’t Have to Be the Expert to Lead the Conversation 

One of the most common misconceptions about charitable planning is that advisors need all the answers before bringing it up. 

In reality, an advisor’s role is often to: 

• Spot the opportunity 
• Frame the conversation 
• Guide the next step 

Not to solve everything in one meeting. 

When advisors approach charitable planning this way, the conversation feels less risky and far more natural. 

Join Our Upcoming Advisor Workshop 

To help advisors approach these conversations with greater confidence, we’re hosting a practical, strategist-led session focused entirely on how to start conversations with high-net-worth clients about getting strategic with their giving.  

How to Confidently Initiate Charitable Conversations with High-Net-Worth Clients 

• February 4 
• 2:00 PM ET 
• 45-minute live workshop 

Led by Ren Charitable Strategists Jordan Richardson and Carla Comstock, this session will focus on: 

• Natural opening lines advisors actually use 
• How to transition from tax or planning discussions into giving 
• Language that keeps conversations productive and client-focused 
• How to move forward without needing to be a charitable planning expert 

Register for the workshop 

All registrants will receive a one-page Advisor Script Playbook to support future client conversations. 

Advisor Script Playbook 

Following the workshop, we’ll make the Advisor Script Playbook available here for on-demand reference. 

This playbook includes: 

• Practical opening language 
• Simple bridge phrases 
• “Safe exit” language to maintain control of the conversation 
• Guidance on next steps and partnering with a charitable strategist 

[Advisor Script Playbook Available Soon] 

A Final Thought 

The most effective charitable conversations don’t feel forced or overly technical. 

They feel: 

• Natural, not scripted 
• Strategic, not transactional 
• Client-centered, not complicated 

Often, it’s a small shift in language that makes the biggest difference.