2026 Topic:
Navigating the Complexities of Giving Together
An Advisory Toolkit for the Philanthropic Family
Thursday, May 21, 2026
7:30 am – 9:00 am
7:30 – 8:15 am – Breakfast and Networking
8:15 – 9:00 am – Presentation and Q&A
FREE 2-Hour Deep-Dive Workshop with Matt Wesley
9:30 – 11:30 am
Location
CreaTV San Jose
38 S Second St, San Jose, CA 95113
Featuring
Matthew Wesley
Founder, Ascend Family Advisory
Event Description
Navigating the Complexities of Giving Together:
An Advisory Toolkit for the Philanthropic Family
Family conversations are rarely just about wealth—they’re about values, relationships, power, and legacy. When philanthropy enters the discussion, these dynamics often become even more complex—and more meaningful.
In this year’s Capstone Advisor Session, Matt Wesley returns to build on his highly regarded presentation on family dynamics, taking the conversation from insight to action. After a concise overview of the core family types introduced last year, Matt will go deeper—equipping advisors with practical strategies and conversational tools they can immediately use in their work with families.
Central to the session is a proven framework built around eight essential questions families often struggle to address, particularly when navigating philanthropy, governance, and legacy planning. Matt will demonstrate how these questions can be used to:
- Navigate difficult and sensitive family conversations with confidence
- Encourage productive intergenerational dialogue
- Help families clarify values, roles, and expectations
- Support succession planning that aligns with family culture and values
- Reduce anxiety and conflict by framing decisions as thoughtful, flexible, and iterative
This session is designed to be highly practical and immediately applicable. Advisors will leave with concrete tools they can integrate directly into client conversations—whether they’re working with first‑generation wealth creators or multi‑generational families planning for continuity and transition.
If your goal is to move beyond technical expertise and become a more effective guide in the most meaningful conversations families face, this session is not to be missed.
The Capstone Advisor Session is the Catholic Community Foundation’s annual event for professional advisors – CPAs, estate planning attorneys, wealth managers and related professionals. Through this event, the Foundation aims to inspire and equip professionals around topics of philanthropy and client advising.
Sponsors
This event would not be possible without our generous sponsors.
Premier Sponsor
Major Sponsor
Partner Sponsors
Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?
Direct your inquiries to galetto@catholiccf.org
Who Should Attend?
Professionals of all levels in the following fields:
- Estate Planning
- Tax
- Wealth Management
- Insurance
- Other advisory fields that work with individuals/families
Speakers
Matthew Wesley
Founder @ Ascend Family Advisory
Matt Wesley is an internationally recognized advisor, speaker, and thought leader on issues facing financially successful families. With a 40-year career in professional ministry, law, and family advisory work, Matt advises prominent families worldwide at the intersections of love, money, and power. His practice emphasizes applied theory and innovative practical approaches that deepen family culture, empower decision-making, and accelerate learning across generations. He holds his JD from Stanford.
Brandon Rebboah
Partner @ Berliner Cohen
Brandon Rebboah is a Partner in Berliner Cohen’s Estate Planning Group. Brandon counsels individuals and families on a variety of estate planning and wealth transfer matters ranging from the formation of living trusts to sophisticated, multi-generational transfers of wealth.
Brandon regularly forms limited liability companies (LLCs) and/or partnerships as a vehicle to hold and transfer intrafamily wealth. He also forms private foundations and creates other charitable vehicles that further clients’ legacy planning goals. Brandon also advises clients on trust and probate administration matters, particularly corporate fiduciaries.
In 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, Brandon was recognized by Thomson Reuters in its Super Lawyers publication as a “Rising Star” – a recognition given to no more than 2.5 percent of California attorneys. Brandon earned an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, a J.D. cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law, and a B.A. cum laude from Santa Clara University.
Event MC
Camie VanKeuren
CEO @ The Catholic Community Foundation
Camie VanKeuren has spent her entire career serving in the Silicon Valley nonprofit sector. She is passionate about strengthening communities, building partnerships, and supporting organizations that make a lasting impact. Camie has extensive leadership experience in development and philanthropy, previously serving as Vice President of Philanthropy for Valley Health Foundation. Prior to that, she held multiple leadership roles at the American Heart Association. In addition to her professional work, Camie serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Happy Hollow Foundation and as a member of the PTG at Saint Frances Cabrini School in San Jose.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if the content will be relevant to me? Is anyone allowed to attend this event?
Can I invite other people to this event?
How much do tickets cost?
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Will this event be livestreamed?
No. This is an in-person event. There will be a recording on the presentation available after the event.
Highlights from Previous Years
Advising the Whole Family
On October 29, 2025, we held our signature Capstone Advisor Session. Advisors from around the Bay Area gathered to network, and to gain knowledge and tips on helping their clients advance effective philanthropy. We were pleased to have Matthew Wesley speak on this year’s topic: Advising the Whole Family, Rethinking Philanthropic Governance. Matt’s firm, Ascend Family Advisory, works with families to build strategies and frameworks to last for generations. A key part of this is recognizing family “types,” and tailoring planning and construction around that. It was a fascinating presentation, followed by an engaging Q&A with Mary Quilici Aumack, CCF CEO Emerita.
Family Charitable Giving: Advisors’ and Donor’s Perspectives
On October 29, 2024, advisors from around the Bay Area gathered in San Jose to hear about how conversations about philanthropy are impacting the lives of clients and advisors alike. The Foundation presented the annual Capstone Advisor Session featuring three panelists who shared their unique perspectives on the topic of philanthropy and how the conversations between clients and advisors is enriching the overall experience of both parties. The panel shared stories from their personal experiences which showcased the important role advisors play in inspiring, encouraging and implementing charitable giving.
Expanding the Definition of Philanthropy
On June 15, 2023, advisors from around the Bay Area gathered in San Jose to hear from a panel of experts about how philanthropy is changing and expanding. The panel examined how advisors can support clients as they explore philanthropic options and open the conversation to new ideas for giving.
A Conversation with 3 Generations of the Sobrato Family
On May 19, 2022, Capstone Advisor Session featured a conversation with three generations of the Sobrato family – John A., John M. and John Matthew Sobrato. They discussed the roots of their philanthropy, how they engage the younger generation, the future of the Sobrato Organization, how they think about impact, and more.
CARES Act: Tax Implications and Philanthropy Webinar
In 2020, the Foundation hosted a webinar exploring the tax implications of the CARES Act and how the legislation created opportunity for endowment as a solution for fulfilling philanthropic goals.
Nancy Moriarty, Tax partner at Frank, Rimerman + Co., spoke about the provisions of the legislation that impact philanthropy, and Erik Dryburgh, Principal at Adler & Colvin, discussed endowments, broadly and in light of this legislation. Mary Quilici Aumack, CEO of the Catholic Community Foundation, spoke about family endowments as a unique and effective way that families can take full advantage of this legislation while creating long-term financial support for organizations they love.
Philanthropy Planning with your Clients
Kia Sullivan, Vice President and Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Wells Fargo Bank and Anne M. Yamamoto, Senior Tax Partner at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP shared ideas – from complex to simple – about tax efficient ways to support clients in their desire to improve their communities and leave a legacy of generosity.
What is the role of a financial or legal advisor in their clients’ philanthropic decisions? What is the context in which advisors are having these conversations in the Silicon Valley?presents on this topic at the Catholic Community Foundation’s “Advisor Breakfast: Philanthropy Planning with your Clients” on May 8, 2019.
On April 25, 2018, Bryan Polster, Chairman of the Board of Partners at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP, brought his years of expertise to the discussion of multigenerational tax planning and the new tax legislation. He touched on a wide variety ways advisors can maximize the effectiveness of existing tax strategies in light of the new legislation, including Donor Advised Fund bunching, IRA rollovers, family endowments, and charitable lead trusts.
Bryan described many techniques advisors can utilize to help their clients, but the true takeaway was his message about how advisors can use their role as influencer to help bridge the huge gap between poverty and wealth in our local community. The Giving Code*, a 2016 study of wealth and philanthropy in the Silicon Valley, notes that there are more than 12,550 households with over $5 million in investable assets, while in that same area 30% of people rely on social support to make ends meet. Along with the huge amount of wealth in the Valley, there is a real desire to give back, but donors, many of them young people with newly acquired wealth, don’t always know where or how to give.
According to an update to the The Giving Code in January of 2018, a common theme from the surveyed group of wealthy individuals was a frustration with their advisors. The advisors did a great job with technical recommendations or the “how” of philanthropic giving, but were lacking the “why.” Bryan encouraged everyone to not restrict themselves to the technical aspects of their position, but to draw upon and share their personal experiences with their clients when appropriate. Simple, honest conversations with clients can have a lasting impact and provide inspiration for their philanthropy.
Being this type of influencer in a client’s life is a calling and a challenge which requires awareness and collaboration. Bryan challenged everyone to collaborate more with their peers in their field and across fields to meet this need. By working together and partnering with organizations like the Foundation, advisors can help their clients identify, visualize, and articulate their objectives, and then make them into a reality. “Only with humility and an open mind,” said Bryan, “can we effectively collaborate with one another to benefit both our clients and our community.”
*Cortes Culwell, A. and McLeod Grant, H. (2016). The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy Executive Summary. [online] Open Impact LLC. Available at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/579ea07b414fb51257607b72/t/580e9bf06b8f5b70e606d390/1477352433730/GivingCode_execsummary_download_102516.pdf [Accessed 7 May 2018].
The Capstone Advisor Session is the Foundation’s annual event for professional advisors where we aim to
equip professionals with new ideas and tools related to philanthropy and inspire professionals to have the conversation of philanthropy with their clients. The target audience is professionals in the fields of estate planning, tax accounting, wealth management, and other related professions.