Giving generously isn’t just about writing checks to charities. It’s about aligning your wealth with your values, reducing the IRS’s share of your estate, and creating a legacy of generosity that lasts long after you’re gone.
At Eastman Wealth Strategies, we help you transform your giving into a purposeful, tax-smart strategy that benefits both your family and the causes you care about most.
Take the Estate & Legacy Readiness Scorecard.
10 quick questions to see how secure your plan really is.
Most people give from taxable accounts or through simple bequests. While well-intentioned, these methods often reduce the true impact of your generosity.
Taxes erode gifts, rules around inherited accounts shrink what’s passed on, and charitable intent sometimes gets lost in complexity
Common pitfalls include:
Charitable gifts diminished by income or estate taxes.
IRA or 401(k) assets passed to heirs, then taxed heavily within 10 years
Lack of planning that forces heirs or charities to sell assets quickly.
Fragmented advice that overlooks advanced giving strategies
The result? The IRS ends up as one of your largest “beneficiaries,” and your charitable vision doesn’t fully come to life.
True generosity is more than obligation. It’s a choice.
We help you redirect money that would have gone to taxes toward the causes and communities you care about most. Instead of the government deciding where your dollars go, you decide.
With the right strategies, you can become a “voluntary philanthropist” who gives more, with greater joy, and with the confidence that your gifts are working as hard as you did to create them.
One of the most powerful tools for strategic philanthropy is the 7702 account.
This is a life insurance structure defined by the tax code and used by wealthy families and institutions for over a century. Properly designed, it maximizes both lifetime flexibility and charitable impact.
Benefits for charitable giving include:
100% income tax-free transfer of wealth to charitable beneficiaries.
Significant estate tax reduction when paired with trusts.
Protection from creditors, lawsuits, and judgments (in many states).
Uninterrupted compounding, ensuring the largest possible future gift.
Flexible access during life, so you can manage personal needs or opportunities while continuing to build a charitable legacy.
This makes the 7702 account not just a financial tool, but a bridge between your personal financial goals and your long-term philanthropic vision.
To strengthen charitable giving strategies, we often integrate 7702 accounts with specialized trusts. These provide both control and protection, ensuring your wishes are carried out.
Irrevocable Trusts: Maximum protection from creditors and estate taxes
Grantor Trusts: Flexible, allowing the founder to retain control while still growing assets tax-advantaged.
Family Legacy Trusts: Pass both wealth and values across generations, ensuring philanthropy endures as part of your family identity.
Business Assets in Trusts: Preserving family businesses while aligning them with philanthropic goals.
Trusts don’t just protect wealth. They provide clarity, harmony, and confidence that your charitable intent will remain intact across generations.
To learn more about how this works, discover the Rockefeller Method of legacy planning.
The ultra-wealthy have long used the “Buy, Borrow, Die” approach to reduce taxes and maximize giving.
Here’s how it works:
Buy: Fund a tax-advantaged asset, such as a 7702 account.
Borrow: Access liquidity during life through policy loans, without triggering taxable events.
Die: Assets pass tax-free to heirs or charities with a step-up in basis.
Applied to charitable giving, this strategy allows you to maximize the size of your gifts, minimize taxes, and maintain flexibility during your lifetime.
Our founder Earl Eastman has been guiding families through complex financial strategies for nearly five decades. Our clients trust him because he not only teaches these strategies—he uses them himself.
At Eastman Wealth Strategies, we:
Bring deep expertise in structuring 7702 accounts for maximum effectiveness
Work hand-in-hand with trusted attorneys for complex trust design
Prioritize education first, so you understand every choice before acting
Build strategies tailored to your unique financial situation and charitable goals.
Operate from a philosophy of stewardship to help families give generously in ways that align with their values.
This isn’t about selling products. It’s about empowering you to give more confidently, more efficiently, and with greater joy.
Your charitable legacy deserves more than good intentions. It deserves a strategy that ensures every dollar makes the impact you intend. Start by seeing how prepared your plan is with the Estate & Legacy Readiness Scorecard.
If you’d rather begin with a personal conversation, schedule a relaxed, 20-minute Discovery Call. Together we’ll explore how to maximize your giving while minimizing taxes, so your legacy has the impact you envision.
*Disclaimer: Financial Advisors do not provide specific tax/legal advice and this information should not be considered as such. You should always consult your tax/legal advisor regarding your own specific tax/legal situation. Separate from the financial plan and our role as a financial planner, we may recommend the purchase of specific investment or insurance products or account. These product recommendations are not part of the financial plan and you are under no obligation to follow them. Life insurance products contain fees, such as mortality and expense charges (which may increase over time), and may contain restrictions, such as surrender periods.