Why is the subject of money still taboo? When people hear terms like fiscal, budget, capital, and fiduciary, their eyes glaze over. While money can be fun, the details of finance can be downright lackluster. Thankfully, Financial Advisor Erin O’Donnell offers a fresh perspective on all things economic.
Her passion for helping people, combined with a natural affinity for numbers, first drew her to the finance industry. She went from pursuing her MBA with the goal of becoming a CPA to working in an administrative capacity at a financial firm, a career she soon fell in love with. Now she works for Forest Hills Financial Group and is energized by the firm’s pace, people, and collaborative office environment. After diving into a career she never initially considered, she realized what a great balance it is—between her accounting background, her desire to help people, and her natural understanding of how money works.
She believes financial organization and education are essential for everyone to make the most of their available resources. “I don’t want anyone to base their financial decisions on fear.” It’s common for people to experience ‘analysis paralysis’ when faced with financial decisions because they don’t want to do anything ‘wrong’; little do they know that ‘time in the market’ is better than trying to ‘time the market.’
A goal is just a pipe dream until it’s thoughtfully planned with achievable steps in the interim. Erin mentioned how automating your finances takes the emotion out of decisions that don’t need it, and how periodic reviews are what allow clients to adjust their goals based on life’s changes.
Erin asks people to be honest about their true goals, whether they are financial or not. “One of my clients said a goal of theirs was to learn how to play the harmonica this year. Some might think this is silly to jot down, though it deserves the same attention and validation as retirement planning. I love that about my job!” Others are keen on vacations, charitable donations, or sending their children to the best college, but Erin sees all hopes, wishes, and goals as valid.
At the foundation of Erin’s ideology is her altruism. For years, she has devoted herself to Good Grief, a non-profit based in Morristown and Princeton whose mission is to help children and their families navigate grief after the loss of an immediate family member. This is a matter close to her heart, largely due to the personal experience of losing her father in 2021.
Since 2004, Good Grief has been removing stigmas around grief and helping thousands of children in New Jersey who are experiencing it far too early in life. “Volunteering for this organization has inadvertently helped me with my own grief, and I think that allows me to show up even better for the kids I see every other week.” Erin continues to give back and support this wonderful non-profit by volunteering bi-weekly as a facilitator, raising funds for them, and contributing to their development committee.
In conjunction with her career in finance and her philanthropic efforts, she finds that many people are not aware of the tax benefits of making donations to 501(c)(3) organizations and how, in many instances, they are tax-deductible. Not only are donations to non-profit organizations amazing in their own right, but they also allow donors to benefit from a tax standpoint. She sees this often with clients and realizes how few people know about the effect donations can have on one’s tax bill each year.
Erin strongly believes that the same way that it’s never too early to start thinking about your future financially, it’s also never too early to consider philanthropic efforts, whether that be with your time, money, or otherwise. For those who are wondering how to donate to organizations, here are a few ideas:
1. Events: For example, Good Grief is hosting a 5k race in May 2026 at Drew University.
2. Recurring: At Good Grief, you are considered a ‘Good Grief Guardian’ if you become a monthly donor.
3. Donor-advised funds (DAF): These operate as tax-advantaged charitable investment accounts that allow donors to make irrevocable contributions of cash or assets and take an immediate tax deduction.
Erin strongly believes that even those who believe they are the most organized and efficient with their finances still may have opportunities to optimize their goals and circumstances—one of those ways being through tax-deductible contributions to valid non-profit organizations. Although charitable donations come from the goodness of someone’s heart, the fact that donors can be rewarded for their efforts from a tax standpoint makes it all the sweeter.
To learn more about Forest Hills Financial Group, visit https://www.fhfg.com/
Volunteering for this organization has inadvertently helped me with my own grief, and that allows me to show up even better for the kids I see every other week.
Not only are donations to non-profit organizations amazing in their own right, but they also allow donors to benefit from a tax standpoint.
At FHFG, Erin O'Donnell is supported by a team sharing her commitment to integrity, collaboration, and client-first service. They work to ensure that your financial plan adapts as goals and circumstances change, giving you direction today and confidence for tomorrow.