As a financial advisor at Foster Group and an active volunteer board member for several nonprofit organizations, I see a common thread running through the key decisions that we’re making.
Whether I’m helping to manage an endowment fund, transitioning family wealth between generations, or encouraging women to invest with confidence, everyone wants the same thing: confidence that they’re making the right financial decisions with their resources.
To bridge the common confidence gap that women, families, and nonprofits alike face, I start with these three key questions that lead to open conversation:
1. What’s your current financial position, and how did you get here?
Understanding where you stand today and the journey that brought you here creates a foundation for confident decision-making. This conversation reveals both patterns to change and on which to build.
2. What are the long-term goals that you hope to achieve?
Clear goals transform vague anxieties into actionable plans. When you articulate what truly matters, the path forward becomes clearer and more confident.
3. What is one step you can take today to move closer to those goals?
Progress builds momentum. By identifying immediate, achievable actions, you transform overwhelming financial decisions into manageable steps forward.
These questions work across all financial contexts. Here’s how I’ve seen them build confidence through conversation in three different situations:
Endowment Fund Management
As an engaged board member, I contribute my time and professional acumen to organizations I care deeply about:
- Defending children’s potential with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa
- Expanding access to affordable education with the DMACC Foundation
- Increasing youth access to music education with the Des Moines Symphony Foundation
These nonprofits need expert guidance in managing financial resources in support of their mission. Through open conversations using these three questions, boards gain clarity and confidence in their stewardship decisions.
Transitioning Family Wealth
As a senior lead advisor at Foster Group, I work with families facing generational wealth questions. They’re not just passing on wealth; they’re passing on values, ideals, and legacies. They want younger generations to inherit blessings, not burdens. By working through these three questions together, families move from feeling conflicted to confident about their financial legacy.
Empowering Women Investors
As a woman leader in the financial services industry, I’m especially focused on empowering my women clients and colleagues. The data shows that women are investing more often than ever before, with impressive long-term returns. Yet they often report less confidence with their financial decisions compared to men. These three questions spur conversations that remind us that we’re not alone; the person next to us probably has the same concerns we do.
The Common Thread: Conversation Builds Confidence
In each of these situations, whether working with nonprofit boards, multi-generational families, or women investors, I’ve learned that silence teaches us nothing. Conversation leads to confidence. Nonprofits have board members to facilitate these discussions. My clients have their trusted financial advisor. And women have each other as role models, sounding boards, and advocates, especially for the next generation looking up to us.
The path to financial confidence isn’t found in isolation; it’s built through meaningful conversations that start with honest questions. By openly discussing where we are, where we want to go, and how to get there, we can transform financial anxiety into financial empowerment.
Ready to start a conversation and build your financial confidence? Let’s connect. We know our clients are looking for more than just status; they’re looking for purposeful ways to use their wealth.
