September 20, 2013
When Anthony Tucci '87CBA offers tax saving advice to St. John's University alumni and friends at the popular Meet the Experts programs, he knows that he is doing his part to further St. John's mission of making a difference for others. As a tax attorney with an undergraduate degree in accounting, Anthony consistently reminds his audience of the importance of speaking with the right professionals before making any financial decisions.
"The advice that I give folks is to be very careful about how they select their professionals to work with," he said. "They need to take the time to put together the most appropriate team of qualified professionals. And I think that's what St. John's and its alumni have to offer…access to a team of experienced and caring professionals who are committed to doing the right thing for their clients."
Once a client has selected a qualified professional, Anthony suggests that the next step needs to be an evaluation of the financial strategies that make the most sense for that particular individual. For many people, directing a portion of their resources to a charitable or nonprofit organization makes the most sense, both personally and financially.
Once that decision is made, the client needs to identify those organizations that are going to utilize those contributions in ways that reflect his or her values and philosophies.
"As a tax lawyer, I believe that planned giving to the right organization can be very valuable," Anthony noted. "It provides the donor with an opportunity to save taxes and at the same time achieve some of their philanthropic objectives. And I explain to them that they might be able to go one step further and establish a private foundation, which allows them to put their money into an entity and then have that money dispersed to the charitable organizations of their choice."
Anthony strongly believes in the value of education for people of all ages, and is pleased that universities like St. John's offers programs to keep their internal and external communities up to date on information that might otherwise be unavailable to them.
"Fundraising is important for universities like St. John's because it allows the alumni, who were once students themselves, to reach out to the young people who recognize the value of education as a means to success," Anthony said. "Planned giving helps to encourage a sense of mentorship and synergy between students and alumni, and that's something I definitely support. It's a win-win situation for everyone."
You Can Make a Difference
If you would like information on the benefits of planned giving to St. John's University and how you can get started, contact Susan Damiani at [email protected] or 718-990-7562 today.