When a local business owner reinvested the proceeds from a major sale into an emerging AI venture, it seemed like charitable giving might have to wait. But with the help of Terri Munro from Waverly Advisors and Cobb Community Foundation, his generosity—and creativity—found a way forward.
At Cobb Community Foundation (CCF), we’re no strangers to out-of-the-box charitable solutions—but this one might be one of our favorites yet.
When Terri Munro, Senior Client Consultant at Waverly Advisors, was helping a client navigate the sale of his business in 2024, she knew she needed a creative approach. The client had just reinvested the proceeds from the sale into a promising new venture—an artificial intelligence startup—and though he was eager to make a charitable gift and secure a tax deduction, there was a catch: his wealth was no longer liquid.
That’s where CCF came in.
Having partnered with us before, Terri knew we had both the flexibility and the know-how to explore non-traditional charitable assets. With a qualified appraisal in hand—useful not only for charitable purposes but also for attracting future investors—the client contributed an interest in his new AI company to a Donor Advised Fund at CCF.
The result? The client received the tax deduction he needed, CCF became a stockholder in an emerging tech company, and a future pipeline of charitable giving was established—all without liquid cash ever exchanging hands.
Of course, any transaction like this involves due diligence. Our team worked quickly and thoroughly to assess and mitigate risk, ensuring compliance and protection for all parties involved.
One day, when the company is sold or goes public, Terri’s client and his family will be able to direct the resulting charitable dollars to causes they care deeply about. In the meantime, their ingenuity—and their commitment to giving back—are already making a difference.
This is what creative charitable planning looks like.
At CCF, we’re proud to help donors turn unconventional assets into extraordinary impact.
