Connecting Wealth with Purpose

The Professional Advisors Network through the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia is a bridge builder for philanthropists and worthy causes. Whether a financial advisor, estate attorney, CPA or other professional, these individuals help facilitate investing in our community through their relationship with CFNEG. 

Former PAN Board Chair and current member, Adam Wilson, shares his experience with the organization and why he’s continued to commit to the Community Foundation for the past decade and a half. 

Q: How did you get connected with the Community Foundation and PAN?

Adam: “My connection to the Community Foundation goes back to my firm’s Sugarloaf Wealth Management roots. Jeff Manry, one of the founders of our firm and a past board chair of the Professional Advisors Network, passed that relationship down to me as he transitioned out of his role. I got more involved with the Community Foundation and the Professional Advisors Network (PAN) about 15 years ago.”

Q: What benefits do advisors gain from being part of PAN?

Adam: “PAN offers a unique value. It provides another tool — or as I like to say, an arrow in the quiver — that helps set us apart as financial advisors.

“Our industry is heavily commoditized, with everyone offering similar strategies and products. But through PAN and the Community Foundation, I can talk to clients about philanthropy and hand them off to a trusted partner who will take care of them.

“It’s a win-win. We continue to manage their money, the Community Foundation provides local expertise and the client benefits from both the tax advantages and the personal touch that comes from investing in their own communities — something you don’t get with larger institutions.”

Q: Why is philanthropy important to you personally?

Adam: “We’re all naturally greedy — whether we admit it or not. For me, generosity is the antidote to that. It reminds me that everything I have is not really mine; I’m just a conduit for resources. If God can get it through me, He’ll get it to me.

“I grew up watching my parents give to our church, and it became something I believed in. Now, I want to model that for my kids. We’ve even created a fund at the Community Foundation as a family, and we involve our kids in our giving decisions. It’s important to me that we not only talk about generosity but also live it out.”

Q: How do you guide clients with their philanthropic goals?

Adam: “It’s about helping clients articulate their ‘why.’ Some clients aren’t philanthropic, and that’s fine — it’s not my job to make them give.

“But for those who are, I ask deeper questions to help them uncover what matters to them. Are they building a legacy through their kids or through a specific organization? Is there a charity that has impacted them personally? It’s all about asking the right questions to get to the heart of their intentions.”

Q: What would you say to advisors who are hesitant about joining PAN?

Adam: “I’d tell them to get off the fence! Our business is evolving, and to offer high-end service to top-tier clients, you need strong partners. High-net-worth clients want to hear about tax-saving philanthropic strategies, and I want to be the first person they call for anything financial. 

“PAN gives me another reason for clients to trust me, beyond just the traditional services of a financial advisor.”