Roberson Museum: A Legacy Worth Preserving

Admin Roundtable - with special guest, Christina Powell

Roberson Museum: A Legacy Worth Preserving - Christina Powell, Digital Marketer

The Season of Giving - Jeff Chase, SVP Financial Planning

Helping Roberson Museum Run Through the Finish Line - Kerstin Driscoll-Witt, Senior Retirement Plan Navigator

In this episode, Mae and Tonya welcome Christina Powell, S.E.E.D.’s Digital Marketer, to talk about an exciting new community partnership. Christina shares details about S.E.E.D.’s dollar-for-dollar match campaign supporting the Roberson Museum’s capital improvements and how clients can get involved before year-end. Tune in to hear how giving back can align with smart financial planning and make a lasting local impact. 

Christina Powell, Digital Marketer

Roberson Museum has been a vital part of our community, bringing arts, science, and culture to generations. We’re proud to support their capital campaign to keep that legacy strong, and to make an even bigger impact we’re matching client donations up to $5,000. 

As the year comes to a close, this is a great time to review your charitable giving plans. Thoughtful contributions can make a meaningful difference while supporting your overall financial goals. 

We’ve been featuring Roberson weekly on our Facebook page, encouraging clients to visit and support this incredible institution. It’s one more way we’re helping raise awareness and drive community engagement. 

Learn more about Roberson’s mission and how you can get involved at www.wecareroberson.com. Together, we can ensure Roberson continues to inspire, educate, and connect our community for years to come. 

Jeff Chase, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning

As the year winds down and the holiday spirit takes hold, many people begin thinking about how they can give back – whether to loved ones, charitable organizations, or causes close to their hearts. Beyond the emotional rewards of generosity, the season of giving presents a unique opportunity to align your philanthropic goals with strategic financial planning. When done correctly, gifting can be a powerful tool to reduce tax burdens, transfer wealth efficiently, and create lasting impact. 

One key aspect to keep in mind is the annual gift tax limit. In 2025, individuals can give up to $19,000 per recipient without triggering potential gift taxes, while married couples can give $38,000 together per recipient. It’s a smart way to help family members while also reducing the size of your taxable estate. A common misconception is that exceeding the annual gift limit means you’ll automatically owe tax. It simply means you’ll need to report the gift to the IRS. Whether any tax is due depends on how much of your lifetime gift and estate tax exemption you’ve already used. 

Charitable giving also plays a central role in year-end planning. Two powerful tools we often use with clients are Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) and Donor-Advised Funds (DAF). 

If you're 70 ½ or older, a Qualified Charitable Distribution allows you to donate directly from your IRA to a charity. Two great things about this are that the QCD will count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for the year, and at the same time avoid taxation. 

Donor-Advised Funds are another great option. They allow you to make a charitable contribution, preferably using a highly appreciated asset, receive an immediate tax deduction, and take your time deciding which organizations to support. DAFs can be especially useful during years in which you have higher income. These higher income years could be from a sale of a business, a year you receive a large bonus, or a year that you take advantage of a Roth IRA conversion. 

If gifting is on your mind – whether now or in the future – be sure to share your intentions with your Wealth Manager or Financial Planner. As with any aspect of financial planning, there are several key factors to keep in mind when considering any of the strategies outlined above. Our team can help you navigate the options and tailor a strategy that aligns with your goals and financial situation. 

Kerstin Driscoll-Witt, Senior Retirement Plan Navigator

When I was a young girl, our school would go on ‘field trips’ to Roberson Museum to visit the Christmas Tree Forest or the Planetarium. I thought this was the best thing ever! Loving the holiday season, I had never seen so many beautiful trees in one place in my life. They were bright, colorful and creative. I’m sure many of you locals can relate. Roberson was so cool as a kid, offering many amazing visual or hands on experiences- it was simply magical. One of my favorites has always been the ‘Train Room’- a railroad depiction of downtown Binghamton, complete with moving trains and train whistles. 

Since moving back to the area, I have had the occasion to visit again over the past few years, to wander different exhibits (most recently ‘Women: A Gallery Anthology’ and ‘Please be Seated’), participate in special events or take my grandchildren to see the Train Room. So much of Roberson looked and felt exactly as it did for me 40+ years ago. I enjoyed the nostalgia of each experience, like coming home to see an old friend. ‘Old’ being the key word here. 

Enter: Michael Grasso, Executive Director. Michael recognized that as a cornerstone of our community for education, entertainment and learning, Roberson Museum was long overdue for a ‘face lift’. He had a vision to transform a tired icon into a bright and viable resource for community and arts and learning, all while preserving the history of the Roberson Mansion. Michael has worked tirelessly with contractors, architects, volunteers, grant writers and his staff to move this community project forward. As I am sure you can imagine, in addition to navigating the actual project, securing funding has been a challenge all it’s own. 

Roberson has been fortunate enough to receive some grants to help with the transformation, but there is still a shortfall to completion.

Enter: Our community. This fall, S.E.E.D. Planning Group will be matching contributions made by our valuable clients, up to $5,000. We believe in strong community partnerships and collaboration. We believe in Roberson and all the great contributions it makes to our community. Roberson is a valuable resource to provide community connections and family experiences. 

If there is anything that I have learned from my dad, it’s the value of volunteering, showing up- either personally or financially, and giving back to our community. With that being said, Roberson needs our help to ‘run through the finish line’. Please visit: Our History - Museum of History of Binghamton, NY | Roberson Museum to learn more about the history of the Museum, current exhibitions, the planetarium and upcoming events. If you are interested in helping with the transformation, please visit Donate to Roberson Museum! It is going to be awesome! Hope to see you all there.