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Gifting may be the place to start in planning a long-term estate planning strategy, according to this paper from Wells Fargo. While gifting can be useful in transferring tax savings, it also can provide a real-time snapshot of the estate plan by allowing the giver to see how beneficiaries accept and respond to the gifts and then to change the estate plan in response.

As social demands increase and government budgets tighten, the need to get maximum impact from increasingly scarce philanthropic funds grows. This paper from Springbanc Social Capital Advisors suggests ways to gain philanthropic leverage so that the potential positive outcome of each donation is enhanced.

The charitable lead trust can be used effectively for the ultra-wealthy to pass property, at death or during life, to charity and family members. The trust is particularly effective for individuals who want to address their charitable interests and also set aside money for future generations' medical, educational or other needs.

Independence, freedom, the ability to choose their own destiny and focus on giving back to their community are the things that motivate extremely affluent women. The ability to pursue work they are passionate about, develop their personal strengths and be of service to those less fortunate make today's wealthiest women happy and fulfilled.

Companies that are responsive to the changing economic, social and environmental landscape, brought about by trends related to climate change, will create opportunities (that will not come without challenges) to grow their businesses and, in turn, create wealth for their stakeholders.

In an era of globalization, corporations may continually find themselves exposed to potential abuses. Thoughtful investors, who recognize the social and business implications of a company's human rights policies, will have a better understanding of both the risks and opportunities to which a company may be exposed.

This paper provides some tips for creative giving to help donors meet the high level of need in their communities and continue to have impact even with reduced dollars available for charitable giving. While these strategies can be applied during the current economic environment, they stand the test of time and can be built upon as the economy and giving budgets recover.

Meeting significant charitable goals efficiently creates a disproportionate need for the characteristics inherent in liquid, public securities. Increasing the allocation to liquid asset classes from 29% to 75% on a tax-managed basis can generate comparable returns to the endowment model after taxes while maintaining the flexibility needed to handle cash flow interruptions and changes in markets, tax regimens and personal goals.

Ecological agriculture is pre-programmed to generate superior climate change performance as measured by soil organic matter, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and materially reduced GHG emissions. This also generates significant opportunities for creating additional and attractive income streams from environmental markets, according to new research from Agro-Ecological Investment Management.