GPC Spotlight

Michael Rasmussen

One of the wonderful members of our Gift Planning Council is Michael Rasmussen. We are excited for you to get to know him a little better in this edition of the GPC Spotlight!

1. Please share a bit of your background and your practice.

I am a BYU graduate and hold a law degree from the University of Utah. With that said, I bleed blue!

A true highlight of my life was the opportunity to serve in the Japan Nagoya mission as it has become a springboard to everything good that I have experienced in my life.

I am a native of Las Vegas, Nevada and have been practicing law here for 20 years. I am a partner with Hutchison & Steffen and my practice is focused on transactional law, including estate and asset planning, protection, and preservation, as well as overseeing large and complex real estate matters.

Prior to joining my current firm, I served as an in-house counsel with the largest homebuilder in the nation and oversaw property acquisitions and merger opportunities.

When I am away from the office I am blessed with the company of a wonderful wife, Rebecca, and five children.

2. Why you are involved with the Gift Planning Council?

I enjoy my association with the Gift Planning Council as it has allowed me to develop a network of like-minded, highly qualified planners across the United States.

The connection with these professionals has not only expanded opportunities to support my clients in other jurisdictions but has also allowed me to observe and learn from others I respect.

3. Can you please share with us some of your favorite experiences that you have had serving on the Gift Planning Leadership Council or at the conference?

The collaborative experience of my second round on the Gift Planning Leadership Council allowed me to feel that I was a part of helping professionals come to better understand the philanthropic opportunities that the Church has for its members and for friends of the Church.

I was further exposed to how I could be a stronger advocate for charitable giving to those who do not share my faith. I feel that I’ve learned how to help others be philanthropic which allows them to be more Christ-like through their giving.

Scott Farnsworth has become a strong role-model for me, and I attribute my time on the Council as one of the few ways I would have connected with him.

4. Do you have a favorite experience you can share regarding a client who gave to a Church entity?

About ten years ago, a client of mine who had actually been my less-active parent’s bishop when I was a toddler, made a gift to assist in the construction and development of the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center.

When discussing this gift with the donor-client, he expressed to me that it had nothing to do with the money, but rather he loved the idea of supporting a building which bore the name of man he knew to be a prophet of God and who he personally admired.

The experience helped me to understand that finding the motives of giving are more important than the tax benefits.

I would also add that I have been greatly assisted by the wealth of knowledge that has been shared with me by the Gift Planning Services team at the Philanthropies Department.