Advisor Spotlight
The Community Foundation is here to help professional advisors better serve their clients with charitable goals. The Foundation can develop plans that fit clients’ financial needs and philanthropic passions. In this section, we like to shine a spotlight on advisors who have partnered with their clients and the Community Foundation to strengthen our region through philanthropy.
Graham S. Leonard
Partner at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP
Involved with the Community Foundation since 2018
How Graham’s work fuels the power of community:
If you ask Graham Leonard what makes a great advisor, he won’t start with credentials or accolades (though he certainly has those). He’ll start with curiosity. His advice? Ask why a client is making an estate plan. “Understanding what’s really driving a client allows us to tailor our process and the plan,” says Graham. “I think clients find that empowering.”
A trust and estate attorney known for his thoughtful presence, Graham has a way of making even the most complex legal conversations feel approachable. Whether he’s guiding a first-time estate planner or coordinating with professionals across multiple jurisdictions, Graham’s approach centers on clarity, understanding, and long-term impact. It’s no surprise he’s frequently recognized and honored by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The Daily Record’s Trusts & Estates Power Law List.
Improving Estate Planning Conversations: Framing Matters
For Graham, estate planning isn’t just a matter of minimizing taxes (though he’s skilled at that, too). He encourages a small shift to improve planning conversations: “Instead of just framing charitable contributions as a way to receive deductions, we can frame philanthropy more broadly as a way to benefit the causes and organizations that the client cares about. Then we can think about how to make those charitable gifts in the most tax efficient way.”
Graham recalls working with a client who wanted to support local charities through her estate — not for the tax benefits, but because those causes mattered to her deeply. As they explored her options, he walked through the benefit of using a portion of her retirement account to fund the gifts. Since charities don’t pay income tax on those assets, but her children eventually would, it would be the most tax-efficient approach. Her face lit up. Now the plan struck a chord on multiple levels, with the tax savings as a happy bonus.
For Graham and his team, that moment — when the heart and the plan align — is part of the fun of being an advisor.
Advice for Advisors: Leverage Local Resources
Graham is an advocate for including Community Foundation staff in the circle of experts every professional advisor should have on hand. He sees the Foundation as a resource to help clients holistically fulfill their charitable intent. “They have a number of different tools available to do that,” he explains. “I would encourage advisors with charitably minded clients to meet directly with the Foundation to see how they can help.”
What sets the Foundation apart is its commitment to building meaningful relationships — with both advisors and their clients. Beyond facilitating gifts, the Foundation works to educate local nonprofits about the value of partnering with estate planning professionals, helping to foster a more informed, connected, and generous community.
A Professional Perspective Rooted in Parenthood
Outside the office, Graham’s love of learning continues — often with his young son by his side. A recent photo from an aerospace museum shows the two of them in wide-eyed wonder. “Parenthood has really cemented for me that we’re all here to help each other,” he says. “Even things that may seem small in the moment can have big impacts.”
Graham and his son Tommy
Industry Trends
Some trends Graham has his eye on are a possible move toward electronic estate planning documents and the continued development of AI-driven tools. Currently, New York State only allows paper wills signed with wet ink, but a bill pending in the state legislature would allow electronic wills. In thinking about the rapid development of AI, Graham is hopeful rather than fearful. He thinks AI could help advisors work more efficiently and minimize some of the barriers to completing estate planning.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re new to estate planning or well-steeped in its complexity, there’s a lot to learn from Graham’s perspective: lead with questions, listen with intention, and never underestimate the impact of a thoughtful plan — or a thoughtful person.
Hear more from Graham on our YouTube channel.
Published August 2025