For almost 25 years, Jill Crawford has helped clients discover the freedom they have to give more generously than they may have thought possible. As a wealth manager at Merit Financial Advisors, Jill works to assist her clients to not only simplify and plan for their financial future, but also to step into the legacy they want to leave with their wealth one day.
We met with Jill to find out how she encourages her clients toward planning for generosity and giving with greater faith.
How did generosity become part of your business?
I love encouraging my clients toward giving. The more conversations I had about it, the more important I realized it was to them, too.
I think we’ve all experienced the tension between giving and saving to some degree. Some of us are naturally wired to save, while others of us are more inclined to give. Those two things can feel complicated to put together, and it might even stop people from considering generosity at all. But when you give clients the bigger picture, it can help resolve that tension. When you give them a financial plan that incorporates both, they see they likely have more flexibility to give than they might’ve realized. That’s part of what I love about working in the space of generosity. It’s a chance to show clients they have more freedom with their finances than they might’ve thought.
How have giving conversations impacted your relationships with clients?
In my experience, so much of the giving comes after the relationship has developed and trust has been built. When they see that I’m not just knowledgeable but also someone who wants to help them reach their unique financial goals – giving included – they feel more comfortable to open the door to bigger conversations about generosity.
How do you encourage your clients toward generosity?
My job as an advisor is to simplify the complex for my clients. The simpler it feels to them, the more likely they are to embrace it. So I try to make generosity both personal and planned for each one. I run the options, I play out the scenarios, I give them the numbers in black and white. But at the end of the day, the numbers are one thing, and their conviction is another thing. I will never stand between a client and their conviction to give. Rather, I want to help them see how they can steward their resources to step into their God-given calling to give with wisdom, clarity and freedom.
This approach works for their current financial goals and their hopes for their wealth as they one day pass it down. Those conversations in a family are so much easier to have when there’s a plan that provides a shared goal. So, we start by working to define what legacy is for a family, and then we work to set specific goals to help them lay the foundation for that legacy with generosity in mind.
One of the most rewarding things we’ve done are family meetings with clients. They bring their children in to talk openly about the legacy they want to leave with their wealth and how they can unite the family around that purpose. We get to guide the family in faithfully stepping into that legacy together and create a plan they can follow, monitor, and measure to help them do that with freedom and ease.
How have you seen that kind of planning impact your clients?
I have had meetings with multiple families that start with a clearly defined mission statement for their financial stewardship. In one case, as the patriarch passed away, the legacy of giving that had been carried in the family for years didn’t pass with him. Instead, the family had such a clear understanding of their mission and vision for giving, they were equipped to carry it forward for generations to come. It was incredibly powerful to see the next generation ask, “Where can we take this from here?” And because this family had made generosity a part of their plans for years, they were equipped to answer that question with clarity.
What’s it like to help someone become more generous?
It’s such a gift to be part of what God is doing in the world through my clients and their generous giving. One just decided to give a substantial gift to her church, and it was my job to inform and support her along the way. We did the research, ran the scenarios, and spent time in prayer about taking this step. Ultimately, she felt called to make that gift, and having the numbers behind her helped her do that with freedom and confidence. I don’t anticipate that I will ever be able to give such a large gift myself but supporting her as she did allowed me to be a small part of that good work.
Why did you decide to work with NCF?
NCF has been instrumental over the years as I counsel clients in their giving. They put the necessary focus and attention on developing relevant resources to assist clients in their giving, whether it’s now or later in their lives.
I think a lot about 1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” That’s a guiding principle for me, and I see it in the work NCF does too.
