Testimonials-philanthropic advising

We have a client that expressed an interest in clarifying and increasing his charitable giving program.  The client knew roughly what he wanted to accomplish but wasn’t sure how to go about designing a program and where to get support and additional resources to implement his vision.  In order to turn his vision into a reality, we engaged Claudia Ehrlich as a philanthropic advisor to help us think through and design the program and interface with other charitable organizations in order to assist us with necessary resources.  Claudia put together a proposal and came up with ideas as to how to execute the client’s vision in ways he may not have thought about.  Claudia was well prepared, had very thoroughly researched options for the client, followed up with the client, myself and the other involved parties.  She was a great help and I look forward to working with her again.

— Michael Crawford, CEPA | Managing Partner

enTrust Wealth Advisors, LLC

It has been a pleasure working with Claudia. She was able to take me all the way from developing my philanthropic vision to execution. She is extremely knowledgeable in the field and has excellent insights. She has guided me every step of the way and continues to monitor progress. I could not have asked for a better partner in developing my philanthropy.

— Wilson S.

Claudia is a gem in the philanthropic world. She is the utmost professional and is capable of finding the very best fit for one’s philanthropic goals. My elderly mother wanted to donate some of her funds to underprivileged kids’ college educations but wanted to make sure she had a hand in exactly which students would receive some assistance, and that it was assistance they wouldn’t otherwise receive. Claudia explored numerous opportunities and did not stop until she found the perfect fit for my mother. She brought my mother to meet with the CEO of Reality Changers, with whom my mother was extremely impressed. She accompanied her on all meetings and guided her through every step of the process. My mother was thrilled to donate to this wonderful organization and to know that her funds were going directly to support these students' college educations. Ultimately, my mother was able to provide some financial assistance for approximately ten college-bound children. The icing on the cake for her was receiving a stewardship video of thank-you messages from all the students. This could not have been possible without Claudia’s vast knowledge of the nonprofit landscape, her countless relationships with people in the nonprofit world, her unending kindness, and her ability to truly understand my mother and her desires. 

Coinciding with bringing my mother’s charitable intentions to life, Claudia also mentored my teenage daughter, Julia, and her peers at the Jewish Community Foundation in a one-year grant-making program. Claudia taught these teens about the grant-making process from beginning to end by helping them research and evaluate nonprofits and ultimately designate appropriate grant recipients. This culminated in a check-presentation ceremony in which the teens spoke about their grantees and introduced them to the audience. It was a powerful learning experience for my daughter and her peers.
— Joanie B.

I cannot recommend Claudia highly enough.  I had the pleasure of meeting Claudia over 20 years ago and had always heard she was talented but really got to know her when she became head of business development at the Jewish Community Foundation. About a decade ago, our family launched a scholarship for graduating high school seniors in memory of my late husband.  Prior to Claudia starting her position, we had all day interviews on a Sunday for our applicants.  Claudia joined us that day even though she had not yet even officially begun her position. That type of dedication and hard work defines Claudia. I remember her dropping files at my home and meeting with me on weekends always with a smile. Claudia is a thoughtful and attentive listener and she guided us with creative ideas to modify the application, broaden its reach and streamline the process of applying.  I was very impressed that Claudia always worked hard to find solutions to my concerns. One of Claudia’s traits that I valued most was how she always made me feel appreciated and valued as a donor.  She really cares about the nonprofit world and is deeply committed and knowledgeable about it. Anyone who engages Claudia to work with them is lucky to get her.
— Elyse S.