Charitable Giving in Retirement & Smart Tax Strategies to Maximize Your Impact with Joshua Chadajo (Ep. 182)

How can you give more to the causes you care about while keeping more of your hard-earned money?

Charitable giving isn’t just a personal act of generosity; it’s also a strategic financial opportunity.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, sits down with philanthropy professional Joshua Chadajo, CEO of JEC Philanthropy, to explore how intentional giving strategies can help you reduce your tax burden, maximize your impact, and build a legacy that reflects your values. Joshua shares how tools like donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions, and bunching donations can make your giving both intentional and tax-efficient.

Key insights include:

• How to turn appreciated assets into bigger gifts while avoiding capital gains taxes
• Why donor-advised funds offer convenience and flexibility for both donors and charities
• Ways to bunch donations to maximize deductions under today’s tax rules
• When foundations make sense for larger-scale or multi-generational giving
• Why giving during your lifetime can be more rewarding and impactful than waiting
• And more!

Connect with Joshua Chadajo:

• JEC Philanthropy
• LinkedIn: Joshua Chadajo
• [e-mail]
• [phone]

Connect with Larry Heller: 

• [phone]
• Schedule a 20-Minute Call
• Heller Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, CPA
• YouTube: Retirement Unlocked with Larry Heller, CFP®

About Our Guest:

Joshua E. Chadajo is the founder and CEO of JEC Philanthropy. His fundraising leadership has resulted in more than $100 million of charitable donations. What he enjoyed most during his thousands upon thousands of conversations with and about donors is uncovering what motivates each individual to give charity, clarifying what each person hopes to accomplish with their support, and determining how best to achieve these goals. Joshua formed JEC Philanthropy to share his passion for charitable giving with individuals and families who can benefit from his wealth of experience. 

Joshua was the longest-tenured Executive Director, North America at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He was the first alumnus to hold the position, which he did for more than 18 years. Joshua earned a reputation for getting things done and achieving a high level of excellence, all while exhibiting a persistent positive attitude, a strong sense of humor and a distinct lack of jargon. 

Joshua spent the last 25 years working at three different nonprofit organizations, holding executive positions in two of them, and serving on multiple nonprofit boards. He has extensive experience in fundraising, strategy, finance, operations, communication and relationship-building. 

Joshua earned an MBA at t