Being a Charity Banker with John Bromley

What if charitable giving opens you up to a new world of purpose and meaning you didn't know you had access to?

In this episode, John Bromley shares how he helps donors navigate and participate comfortably in the giving world as a "charity banker." John is the founder and CEO of Charitable Impact, Canada's first fully online donor-advised fund, which has facilitated over $1.5 billion in charitable donations since its inception in 2011. Growing up in a family deeply engaged in philanthropy, John was inspired by his father, renowned charity lawyer Blake Bromley, to pursue a career in creating impact. He began in corporate finance with PwC and RBC Capital Markets before transitioning to the charitable sector in his mid-to-late twenties, where he recognized the need for a simpler, more effective giving platform. John's innovative approach has earned him recognition as a TEDx speaker, a "Forty Under 40" honoree, and recipient of the CEO Community Leadership Award. Committed to cultivating generosity, John continues to empower individuals and organizations to make meaningful change through philanthropy. Beyond his professional achievements, he is a dedicated community leader, soccer coach, and proud father of two.

John reveals the relationship that transformed him: his father Blake Bromley, one of the global pioneers of charity law and finance in Canada, who taught John everything he needed to know to become a charity banker not through formal education but through osmosis during car rides to sports games every weekend, where John thought he was tuning out boring workplace talk but was actually absorbing years of expertise that no textbook could teach, leading to John's realization in his late twenties that his dad possessed unique knowledge that became the foundation for Charitable Impact and John's ability to help donors go from thinking about $200,000 gifts to creating private foundations with $15 million.

 

[00:05:00] I'm a Charity Banker

• Acts like private banker to donors (individuals or organizations)

• Gives access to knowledge about how to go about giving

• Brings tools and team members to help

• Founder and CEO of Charitable Impact (donor-advised fund)

[00:05:40] How a Charity Bank Works

• People give money in, get tax receipt right away

• Can determine how to use those charity dollars to create impact they want

• Role is entrepreneur who founded it, gives vision and mission

• There because people with great hearts, minds, deep wallets never had anywhere to go for neutral advice

[00:06:40] Inspired by Seeing Others Become Inspired

• Charitable giving opens people to new world of purpose and meaning

• About investing time, talent, and money into things you care most about

• Having impact with your time, talent, and money

• Coached soccer for years, grateful for opportunity to do it

[00:07:40] Getting More Out Than You Put In

• Really good donors get more out of it than they think they put in

• First time doing anything, you're not gonna be whiz kid

• Takes time and focus

• People who learn to have joy and gratitude become best donors

[00:10:40] Making Intentional Giving Part of Everyday Life

• Vision at Charitable Impact: make intentional giving part of everyday life

• Quantum of money isn't as important

• Type of cause they choose isn't important to him

• Like banker shouldn't care what specific stocks someone chooses

[00:11:40] From Sporadic to Intentional Giver

• Inspired when someone goes from not being giver to proactive giver

• From only reacting to being asked for money to building giving into their life

• Whether using time, talents, and/or money

• Like fitness banker trying to get people off couch

[00:14:00] Be Open to Help

• Blessed to have had many encounters with people who had material impact

• If talking to younger self: you've gotta be open to help and feedback

• Don't have to accept it all, but have to listen to it

• One person stands out head and shoulders above everyone else

[00:14:40] Didn't Recognize Until Almost 30

• Key mentor in his life was his father

• Didn't recognize dad played that role until almost 30

• Not just because dad was good dad who loved and nurtured him

• Where do you learn what you need to know to become a charity banker?

[00:15:20] One of Two Serious Pioneers

• Father was one of arguably two serious pioneers of charity law and finance in Canada

• In charity nerd community (very small), dad is known globally

• He's one of global experts in the space

• Here he is, just my dad

[00:16:00] The Career Change Conversation

• Graduated university, started in corporate finance and investment banking

• Left after several years, not being culture fit

• Started interacting with dad about changing career mid-to-late twenties

• Accidental pathway led to realizing dad knows stuff you can't read online

[00:17:20] Learning from Osmosis

• Played ton of sports growing up, every weekend dad took him to games

• Dad yapping about charity stuff going on in his workplace

• John thinking: in one ear out the next, boring

• Now realise: how much did I learn from osmosis?

[00:19:20] The $15 Million Superpower

• Dad's superpower: donor comes in thinking $50-100K, maybe $200K

• Two months later, leaving with private foundation with $15 million in it

• Rooted in relationship development and expertise

• John has had few scenarios where this happened

[00:20:20] Seeing Beyond the Barriers

• People come in wanting to make giving part of how family does things

• Starting with what sounds like relatively low money

• Shifting how they think about it, making large structured contributions

• Growth mindset in philanthropic advisory space

[00:22:40] Increasing Access to Participation

• Mission: increase access to participation in and benefit people feel from giving

• Not about going from 200K to 15 million

• About going from never giving to starting to give $100 a month

• It's the action to participate and start that matters

[00:24:00] Like Building a Bank

• Banks might make more money off high net worth clients

• But banks don't exist without tens of thousands of small depositors

• Real interest is helping people get in and stay in game

• Regardless of money or causes they want to create impact for

[00:26:00] The Workshop That Changed Everything

• Kevin started family foundation in 2008 to avoid big tax bill

• Friend Jeff Ziegler told him to start foundation and get 501(c)(3) status

• Went to workshop in 2009, heard foundation owners talking about what they're doing

• Wanted to start experiencing that

[00:26:40] Jamaica Orphanage and Family Sponsorship

• Kevin's foundation supports Jamaica orphanage, visits every year

• Gives each of four older kids access to foundation debit card

• They choose family through food bank or church to sponsor

• Buy what kids want and need, groceries

[00:27:20] I Wish This Was My Job

• Oldest daughter after first year: "I wish this was my job all the time"

• So incredibly rewarding for them

• Take kids to Jamaica orphanage, they experience what those kids are like

• On bus ride back, kids saying "we got it really good, Dad"

[00:28:20] Three Beliefs at Charitable Impact

• Everyone has something in world they want to create change for

• Everyone has something to give toward creating that change (time, talent, treasure)

• When you give, you get something in return

• This third belief is under-focused on

[00:29:40] Selfish Reasons to Give

• How do you learn you have it well if not exposed to these things?

• Creates opportunity, learning, meaning, and purpose in your own life

• It's not just about benefiting community

• No one focuses on this, but they should

[00:30:00] You Don't Stay in Jobs You Don't Like

• Do you live in a house you hate? Probably not

• Eat foods you hate? Play sports you don't like?

• Of course not - you do things you enjoy

• Important to see philanthropy that way

[00:32:40] Intention vs. Action

• Intention is critically important, big fan of intention

• But it's action, doing stuff in real world that creates change

• Can't just think about it

• Philanthropy is like exercise or eating well - you have to actually do it

[00:33:20] You Don't Have to Be Perfect

• Don't have to work out hours every day

• Can be incremental, small part of who you are

• But you actually have to do something

• When you do, you get something in return

[00:33:40] The One Thing They Don't Regret

• Seasoned philanthropists, particularly as they get older

• Never heard anyone regret spending time, talent, money on things they care about

• Partly because of how much they get out of it

• By so doing

[00:34:20] Being in Control of Where Money Goes

• Can choose instead of paying it all in taxes

• Give to organization or something you believe in and want to support

• Take proactive step and give it there instead

• We can totally choose that

[00:36:00] Dad, Thank You and I Love You

• John gives shout out to his father

• Thanks him for everything

• Says "I love you"

• Beautiful moment honoring his dad

 

KEY QUOTES

"Charitable giving opens them up to this new world of purpose and meaning. It's really about investing your time and talent and money into the things that you care most about, that you love." - John Bromley

"Really good donors get more out of it than they think they put in. The people who learn to have joy and gratitude from giving become the best donors." - John Bromley

"When you give, you get something in return. It's about creating opportunity and learning and meaning and purpose in your own life." - John Bromley

CONNECT WITH JOHN BROMLEY 

🌐 Website: https://www.charitableimpact.com 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbromley 

📱 Social Media: @wearecharitable

 

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