Building relationships

Henry Bowden believes the most important skill for an attorney is to listen for the goals and objectives of his clients. And he should know – he’s helped individuals and families achieve their financial and philanthropic goals in Atlanta for over 45 years.

“As an attorney, I don’t sell documents, wills and trusts,” says Bowden. “I listen and provide advice about how you and your family can achieve your goals as related to your estate planning. Once I’ve given the advice, that might manifest in documents but those are just the product. The relationship is the important part and an advisor needs to listen for understanding.”

Bowden has had a long relationship with the Community Foundation, which he values because of the deep expertise of our staff. But, as a third generation Atlantan, his fondest memory with the Community Foundation involves baseball. Years ago, a teacher at E. Rivers Elementary School called him because they wanted to improve the ball field behind the school. Bowden suggested that the PTA set up a donor-advised fund. They raised the money and now Bowden has grandchildren that play on that field.

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This story was originally shared in our 2019 Annual Report. To read the full report, click here.