"One of the greatest risks to generational wealth isn’t poor investment decisions; it’s the absence of conversation. Families often spend decades building wealth but never explain to the next generation what that wealth is meant to accomplish.
As an Investment Advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, part of my role is facilitating those conversations so that clients can articulate their legacy goals.
The following reflections come from a long time DCM client whose stewardship journey illustrates what these conversations can make possible."
Derek Riddle, CRPC®, CFP®
Lead Investment Advisor
My Stewardship Journey
Client Spotlight
Written by an anonymous DCM Client
I’ve been a Donaldson Capital Management (DCM) client for 25 years. I retired in 2019. The following is submitted in response to DCM’s request for me to offer a few comments on my stewardship journey.
Stewardship requires planning—financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, legacy planning, etc. Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Recently, I’ve become more mindful of my stewardship, and more specifically, my legacy.
Legacy is more than the distribution of the assets I’ll leave behind when I die. It includes memories, values, wisdom, traditions, and yes, money. I can build and shape my legacy during my lifetime, intentionally,
and with purpose.
My legacy includes things like helping one of my granddaughters sharpen her softball skills, family vacations, college funding for my grandchildren, being a Habitat volunteer, and yes, leaving an inheritance of money for my children. An equally important part of my legacy is pursuing Biblical generosity.
As a Christian, I know God wants me to be involved in His good work with a portion of my time, talent, and money. I believe all that I have belongs to God. I’m merely His caretaker, desiring to be a good steward. I know that God wants His people to store up treasures in Heaven. In his book The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn writes, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.” That concept had, and continues to have, a profound impact on me.
Through DCM, I became acquainted with the National Christian Foundation (NCF) and also learned how a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), a charitable giving fund, was a perfect addition to my stewardship journey and my legacy plan. NCF is the largest Christian foundation in the United States.
Through NCF’s website, I have ready access to more than 60,000 charitable organizations, as well as access to NCF’s charitable organization information database. The tax efficiency that a DAF provides enables me to be an even more generous charitable giver. My DAF with NCF also provides charitable giving simplicity, online giving with the click of a mouse.
Because legacy is meant to be positive and multi-generational, I’ve begun the process of educating and inviting my wife and children to share in this DAF with me. This includes participating in decisions about which charities to support, as well as the amount and timing of our giving.
This element of my stewardship journey is a work in progress. I’m learning that planning and patience are required of me regarding my children’s participation in the DAF. They, much like me when I was their age, are busy with their young lives, with their children and careers, and their priorities differ from mine. And that’s okay.
To paraphrase 2 Timothy 4:7, life is a race we all run. We all want to finish well. It’s those who prepare that perform well. It’s a warm feeling knowing I’ve begun my stewardship journey, but I have work yet to do.
If you’d like to explore the guidebook, just let your advisor know—they will make sure you have a copy.
This article was featured in the Spring 2026 edition of the Rising Dividend Report.
Read more articles from this issue here.
This testimonial was provided by a current client who chose to remain anonymous. No compensation was provided. The comments reflect the client’s own views and opinions, and no conflicts of interest exist.