The En Factor Podcast features conversations with entrepreneurs who have started, stumbled and succeeded.
Welcome back to The En Factor for a new episode as we are very excited to be joined by Phoenix Hafen, who is the Partnerships Manager for the organization UI Charitable. Phoenix planned to start a career as a financial advisor coming out of college and found UI Charitable as a solid stepping stone for gaining relevant, industry-related experience to grow his career. Over four years later, Phoenix still finds himself working for UI Charitable after discovering his passion for philanthropy and giving back to the community while still doing work that is relevant to his education and the career that he is building for himself.
UI Charitable operates similarly to a financial advisory practice, collaborating with entrepreneurs, financial advisors, and nonprofit organizations to achieve the optimal balance of wealth management and philanthropy for these entrepreneurs to increase and manage their charitable giving in a healthy fashion. From assisting with the set up of donor advised funds, to helping business owners find the perfect nonprofit, industry, or even location match for where they want to donate, Phoenix’s organization blends this process seamlessly so that these entrepreneurs can build out their legacy while giving back to the communities that they want to impact in a financially healthy way.
If you’re an entrepreneur wanting to make a philanthropic impact out there in the world or even a nonprofit owner looking for donors that can bolster the impact you’re striving to achieve, this conversation with Phoenix and host Dr. Rebecca White is definitely worth the listen. Tune in and join us as the two explore topics of discussion including managing your charitable planning and optimizing your philanthropic resources, when to even start thinking about philanthropy for your business in the most tax friendly ways possible, as well as funding advice for nonprofit organizations and how they can appeal to their ideal donors.
Key Words – Philanthropy, Finance
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Learn more about UI Charitable at their website, below:
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Connect with Phoenix on LinkedIn, below:
Chapters
00:00 • Introduction: Welcome to The En Factor!
01:16 • Introducing Today’s Guest: Phoenix Hafen
02:17 • Welcome to The En Factor, Phoenix!
02:45 • Background on UI Charitable: Building Philanthropic Bridges for Entrepreneurs
05:00 • The Inefficiencies of Donating Cash From a Tax Perspective
08:00 • How Phoenix and UI Charitable Collaborate with Financial Advisors
09:27 • Phoenix’s Advice on When to Start Thinking About Philanthropy as an Entrepreneur
10:18 • Donor Advised Funds: How They Work to Promote Financially Healthy Giving
19:55 • The Current State of Philanthropy in the United States
26:20 • Phoenix’s Advice for Young Entrepreneurs Wanting To Give Back
28:20 • Phoenix’s Background and How His Perspective on Philanthropy Has Changed
30:30 • Phoenix’s Plans for the Future Going Forward
33:30 • Phoenix’s Final Piece of Advice for Current and Aspiring Entrepreneurs
34:35 • Where Our Audience Can Connect with Phoenix and UI Charitable
35:25 • Wrapping Up with Dr. White: Thank You for Listening to The En Factor!
Episode takeaways
- The best giving starts by asking which assets should fund the gift, not how much generosity feels appropriate. Appreciated assets are often far more powerful than cash because they unlock both a deduction and the avoidance of capital gains tax.
- The real advantage is separating the tax event from the giving event. Vehicles like donor advised funds work because they let you capture the tax benefit now and decide the charitable deployment later. That separation creates flexibility that direct giving cannot.
- Not all philanthropy has to be a grant. Some of the most effective charitable capital can be deployed through loans, impact investments, or asset purchases that recycle value back into future giving.
- Many donors cannot or will not write a large check, but they can often give an illiquid or troublesome asset. The trick is to ask what asset they have, not just how much cash they have. Fundraising gets constrained when nonprofits only speak the language of cash. Creative asset sourcing can reveal much larger gifts and solve problems for both sides at once.
- Early-stage entrepreneurs do not need to wait until they are wealthy to begin philanthropy. The first step is figuring out which problems, geographies, or communities they actually care about.
- Purpose precedes scale. People who start building a giving identity early are more likely to make philanthropy intentional later instead of random or performative.
- Entrepreneurs already know how to think rigorously about building value, but that discipline often disappears when they give. The opportunity is to bring the same intentional design to philanthropy that they bring to business.
The En Factor® Podcast
Conversations with Entrepreneurs
Hosted by Dr. Rebecca White
Our audience of aspiring and established entrepreneurs are inspired to persevere throughout their entrepreneurial journey. You will hear first-hand stories of success, resilience through failure, and how to become a master in your field.
