What is the legacy and impact you want to impress upon the world? That’s a big question, and your answer likely depends on what fulfills and motivates you each day. If you asked the Tolleson family their answer regarding Tolleson Wealth Management, they would say, “to take care of others.” Their work is driven by purpose and intentionality, carried out through a culture of service.
Founder and Executive Chairman John Tolleson and his son and CEO Carter Tolleson have grown a business centered around helping others — serving clients with all things financial, serving the community with philanthropic initiatives, and serving their team with leadership and vision for the future.
“I think it’s somewhat natural to want to help others,” John Tolleson said. “And if we can help a family manage their affairs and enjoy their life more, we get great satisfaction.”
To help others is a rewarding feeling – it generally feels good to do good.
Working with multi-generational families gives the Tolleson team a unique perspective on what it means to serve. What may come as a surprise is that helping families thrive financially can have impacts beyond the numbers and transactions. How decisions are made and the intent behind them play a large role, and when setting up a family for generational success, values and purpose become essential in the process.
The Tolleson team knows this intimately through their experiences partnering and supporting families. Wealth is a complex topic. The upside is that it can have lasting and positive ripple effects when managed well and supported by a comprehensive team. One of the most fulfilling areas this can be seen is through philanthropy.
Philanthropy is one of the ways families can leave a strong legacy, communicate family values, and create a tangible impact in the world. One of the goals for Tolleson is to help clients with this journey, making their philanthropic initiatives meaningful, inspiring, and easy for themselves and their families. From managing family foundations and donor-advised funds to identifying ways to strategically make a charitable gift, there are so many ways philanthropy can support various causes. With a clear mission, a family can accomplish a lot of good — and feel rewarded for doing it.
For Tolleson and its team, it’s important to “practice what you preach” when it comes to philanthropy. It’s not solely limited to how the team provides a service to client families; it’s also how philanthropy is integrated into the business. Part of this is accomplished through sustaining a strong community partnership with a local organization. Tolleson has proudly supported South Dallas’ Bonton Farms for the last two years. More than just a farm, the Bonton Farms’ mission is to transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness, and opportunity as the norm. Walking side-by-side, the Tolleson team supports the organization through event sponsorship, volunteer activities, strategic projects, and empowering financial wellness. Because financial wellness is a path the Tolleson team knows well, they are partnering with other financial institutions to provide Bonton with programming around budgeting, education about banking programs, credit building, credit repair, estates and wills, homeownership, and other financial literacy tools.
By regularly collaborating on these and many more important community needs, the relationship is mutually fruitful with a tangible impact.
To the Tolleson team, “service” is more than an industry buzzword. They uphold the value of what it means to serve as a wholehearted commitment. Born from a founding family legacy and grown through years of passion, hard work, and integrity, the Tolleson purpose continues to thrive.
This article was compiled by Tolleson Wealth Management. It was prepared and distributed solely for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy a security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. You should consult your professional advisors before making any tax strategy, legal financial planning, or investment decisions
