MaineCF: As an attorney, what do you see as your role in talking about philanthropy with your clients?
Matthew Newman: I see my role as getting to know the clients and what their hopes and aspirations are. I want to help facilitate the conversation in a direction they find meaningful. I’ve learned that looking at my role from strictly a legal perspective sometimes is not helpful to clients.
Talking about philanthropy often requires a team approach. Sometimes the head of the team is a financial advisor who has been with the client for a long time, or it may be an accountant, or it may be a family friend. I want to keep the conversation going, keeping in mind what or who is bringing them to the table, and tailor my role and contributions to the conversation accordingly.
I say to people all the time that I’d rather play a small part in a happy outcome than a large part in a less-than-happy outcome. Obviously, clients come to me to set the stage from a legal perspective, which is important, and I want them to understand how they fit into that, but only after they become comfortable talking to me.
MaineCF: Do you have any favorite questions to initiate the charitable conversation?
Newman: I like to ask if they have had experiences in giving that they have found particularly rewarding. This question helps me better understand their goals and how a gift should be structured. It also gives me a sense of the important people who may or may not be in the room. For example, do they want their kids to be involved in their charitable giving or do they want to do it themselves?
There really is no single question – my questions tend to be in response to what I am hearing from the client.
MaineCF: Do you have any stories about clients who have been a good fit with MaineCF?
Newman: In Damariscotta there are so many people who grew up somewhere else but came here and fell in love with the area. They come to Maine, they love the community, they love how authentic it is. They love that there is a sense of privacy and a sense of space, but also a genuine connection with their neighbors and the people in their community.
Our experience is that when they connect with MaineCF, they feel a similar sense of authenticity, not only in terms of the foundation’s knowledge of nonprofits or the areas of interest they might want to support, but also the giving mechanisms that might help them make connections in a way that is most valuable to them and their community. At the same time, MaineCF’s approach to discussing charitable giving with donors is very similar to ours: a low-pressure comfortable conversation to gain an understanding of their needs and interest areas before sharing opportunities that might suit their philanthropic needs.
MaineCF: Do you have any advice for other professional advisors about how they might partner with MaineCF or use MaineCF as a resource?
Newman: I was fortunate because I originally learned about MaineCF because we already had clients working with you. My suggestion to other professional advisors would be to pick up the telephone and call MaineCF when they have clients who are looking for ways to support their community through philanthropy.
MaineCF can tailor the structure of the giving to meet the needs and interests of the donor. The community foundation not only knows philanthropy and planned giving, but knows Maine, the communities, and the various nonprofits supporting those communities.
MaineCF: Is there anything else you would like to add before we end?
Newman: I would just underscore how valuable MaineCF has been for us as professionals, but also how rewarding that association has been for our clients. Our knowledge of the foundation and the way it works gives us a lot of confidence when we mention your name and encourage clients to give you a call.
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Matthew Newman fell in love with New England while attending St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Newman holds a master’s degree from Oxford University, England, and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a member of the corporate practice group at a large law firm in Portland, Maine, before partnering with Jack Lynch in 2006 to form Lynch & Newman. He served on the board of the Topsham Public Library from 2009-2016 and was its president for several years. He currently serves on the board and executive committee of Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust in Damariscotta. Newman lives in Topsham with his wife, Suzanna, and their children, Alexander and Lilian.
Matthew Newman visits Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site on the Damariscotta River with his dog Reggie, who is also his work companion. Photo Yoon S. Byun
