With great pleasure, the Niagara Golden Horseshoe Chapter and Awards Selection Committee celebrate Joanne Goodrich as recipient of the 2021 Lorna Somers Legacy Giving Award of Excellence. Congratulations, Joanne!
Joanne Goodrich, M.A., CIM®, FMA, EPC, FCSI®
SeniorPortfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor,
Goodrich Livingstone Wealth Management | RBC Wealth Management | RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Joanne is Senior, Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor at Goodrich Livingstone Wealth Management, a division of RBC Wealth Management, and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. She is an outstanding champion of philanthropy and community. In her role as a financial advisor, Joanne helps her clients identify and create their legacies with intention and meaning. Her greatest joy is seeing the gratitude her clients experience once they realize the impact that their gifts will have on the lives of families in their own communities. Joanne is also a proud volunteer with Halton’s Food for Thought breakfast program.
Special thanks to our 2021 award sponsor, Donor Motivation Program.
In place of an in-person celebration, we share with you an interview that our Niagara Golden Horseshoe Chapter had with Joanne Goodrich:
CAGP: What does this award mean to you?
Joanne: The award is such an honour because it shines a light on service to others. This has always been my highest goal as an advisor. It is an honour shared with all advisors who have the privilege of hearing about their clients’ heartfelt commitments to others and who want to help them to fulfil these commitments. I believe that helping others to do good in the world is the highest form of service.
CAGP: In your career, what has been a highlight for you when working with clients on their future gifts to charity?
Joanne: Career highlight: there are many. It’s never been about the amount; it’s been about the “heart.” During the pandemic, my clients asked, “What can we do to help others in our community?” This question came from the heart and I was so grateful to be able to help them help others. I was profoundly moved by the outpouring of generosity through gifts of securities and/or gifts from their charitable gift plans.
CAGP: What inspires you to help people with their philanthropic planning?
Joanne: Listening is a huge part of our work as advisors. The more we can know and understand our clients’ values, the more we are able to help them achieve their goals. We have deep and long-lasting relationships with our clients. We see lives change. We see joys and we see sorrow. The inspiration for helping people with their philanthropic planning is to say, “I’ve heard you and I will help you to put your values into action.”
CAGP: How does being a member of the CAGP help you in your work as a financial advisor?
Joanne: The CAGP is a source of support and education on all matters philanthropic. Canada has extremely favourable tax laws regarding philanthropy. The CAGP not only keeps its members up-to-date on such laws but it provides practical advice on how to most effectively use philanthropy during one’s lifetime and in Will planning. In addition, listening to other advisors talk about how they use philanthropy in their practices is very valuable.
CAGP: You have been a mentor to others who work in the field of gift planning. Have you had a mentor yourself along the way?
Joanne: I haven’t had a mentor per se; however, there have been many people who have inspired me and provided insight on gift planning along the way. The first person whose example I followed was a client whose family was part of a long-standing family trust. The purpose of the family trust was to serve the community and my client’s dedication to educating other members of the family on this mission struck a chord with me. Others have brought education and process to my work as an advisor. The very best “mentor” was the Master Financial Advisor-Philanthropy course offered by The Knowledge Bureau. This comprehensive course made it possible for me to add depth to my conversations with clients about philanthropy, and helped me feel confident that I had a process for ensuring such conversations were meaningful and could lead to effective action through planning. As advisors, we need more mentors.
CAGP: What piece of advice do you have for professionals working with clients or donors who want to make an impact on the future through a cause near and dear?
Joanne: The most important piece of advice is to listen. Listen for what is said; listen for what is unsaid. Don’t be afraid of emotion. Remember that our role is to guide, counsel and act. We can’t do this if we aren’t listening. Sometimes we hear the “tax” complaint first. When a client has sold a company, for example, taxes are top of mind. But if we have been listening, maybe we heard the reason for the sale and/or the concerns about how family members will change when new wealth is received. We might have heard about the health challenges of certain family members, or about the sudden loss of a dear one to illness. All of our conversations with clients contain such elements. It’s a very simple thing to ask, “what if you could make a difference?” The tax conversation is secondary to the values question but it is important – “what if you could choose where your tax money goes?” I have found this to be the most powerful question of all.
“I am delighted to hear that Joanne Goodrich is the recipient of our CAGP Award of Excellence. I have long said that those who enjoy the greatest success in helping our wonderful supporters on their giving journeys, truly understand that philanthropy ‘takes a village’. Those working in gift planning and development are better positioned to be helpful when we are in step with our colleagues in the financial sector and can tap into their expertise and experience. Joanne has been incredibly supportive in the efforts of so many organizations within our community and is well-known for her willingness to provide advice and assistance. Congratulations, Joanne. You lead by example.”
Lorna Somers, Associate Vice President, Development, McMaster University
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this special award! Joanne exudes leadership in philanthropy, not only in her work with clients, but in her thoughtful and strategic approach to personal giving. Joanne inspires me to dream bigger, to climb higher and to give more sacrificially. Joanne, congratulations on the Legacy Giving of Excellence Award and for modeling true humility in a life dedicated to giving back to others.”
Lisa Gonnering, Manager Estate & Gift Planning, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation
“Congratulations Joanne on being awarded the CAGP Lorna Somers Legacy Giving Award of Excellence. Well deserved.”
Mary Goodfellow, Senior Legacy Advisor, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Comentários