Philanthropy is a powerful tool for social good, and can also support a client’s tax planning goals – but have you considered how philanthropy can also be a powerful tool to deepen relationships with clients for the long haul? In this interactive session, Sean V. Owen Ph.D., CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®, CAP®, Financial Advisor and Partner at Vinoble Group, and Natalie Pond, Gift Planning Advisor at Seattle Foundation will provide tactical approaches to start and deepen conversations about philanthropy with clients. We will show through case studies how these approaches in turn can encourage better collaboration with trusted advisors, support clients in engaging in multi-generational planning, provide financial literacy for the next generation(s) within the family, build AUM, and retain long-term, more satisfying client relationships.
Meet Sean V. Owens, Ph.D., CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®
Sean spent more than a decade obtaining three master’s degrees and a doctorate in musicology while painstakingly honing his prowess as a classical guitarist, so naturally he became a financial advisor. He applies the experience accumulated since his first year as an advisor in 2004 when working with clients and specializes in education funding and philanthropic strategies. He takes community to heart: he is a former board member of One Square Inch Foundation and Cornish College of the Arts, and a member of Seattle Children's Legacy Advisors and Seattle Classic Guitar Society. Sean earned a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Southampton, UK; a M.Mus in musicology from King's College London, UK; a M.M. in classic guitar and a M.M. in musicology from New England Conservatory; and a B.M. in classical guitar from Cornish College of the Arts. He also has earned multiple financial designations: CFP® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, CRPC® Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and APMA® Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor℠. Sean is a man of many talents. An avid chess player and reader, he’s also an authority on the life and works of the obscure English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, thanks to his doctorate studies. He occasionally gives classical guitar performances locally and has played at no less than two of his partners’ weddings. His wife, Trish, is an ex-professional ballerina turned psychotherapist. They are happy parents to two cute and unruly cats.
Meet Natalie Pond
Natalie has a decade of experience in the nonprofit world, with a focus on philanthropy within organizations addressing systemic barriers to opportunity. She has leveraged her skills in storytelling, strategy and relationship-building to fuel vital missions. In recent years, she has focused her professional life on gift planning, helping donors and organizations find meaningful alignment through transformative legacy and other asset-based gifts. She is inspired every day by people’s life journeys and how that intersects with their philanthropy. She holds a BA in English from Whitman College and a Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy, University of Washington. She is a proud resident of the Pinehurst neighborhood in north Seattle and lives with her partner and dog, Star. Natalie has been working at Seattle Foundation since 2024.