Advisors Giving Back: Why U.S. Trust Rep Cares About Education

Glen Macdonald, senior vice president and private client advisor for U.S. Trust-Bank of America Private Wealth Management in Florham Park, New Jersey, appreciated the value of learning for a long time.

Macdonald was a political economist in the 1980s, doing research in Mexico, Europe and other spots thanks to support from the Fulbright Program, Embassy of France and Ford Foundation. He also taught at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill before going to work for the consulting firm Coopers & Lybrand (later PwC).

In 2004, a philanthropist asked him to launch a peer-learning network for both practicing and emerging philanthropists, which later became the Wealth & Giving Forum. “That’s how my interest in personal wealth, its uses and decision-making about it were kindled. When I returned to the private sector in 2007, I chose the wealth and investment management field,” he explained.

Today, the advisor’s practice serves endowed nonprofits, private family foundations and charitably minded individuals who want comprehensive financial advisory services.

“I was attracted to U.S. Trust by its long-standing roots working with philanthropic families and institutions, the power of its fiduciary model, the unparalleled breadth and rigor of its open-architecture investment management platform — including socially responsible and impact investing options — and an unmatched suite of philanthropic advisory capabilities,” he explained.

Over the years, Macdonald has heard many stories, aspirations and about philanthropic journeys that affected his understanding of the role of wealth in people’s lives and “how to marry money and purpose.” Plus, he points out, these interactions have made him more keenly aware “of the central role that values and mission play in wealth allocation and investing.”

Reaching Out