Senior Vice President

Nancy B. Gardiner

Nancy Gardiner is a Senior Vice President at Hemenway Trust Company. Nancy advises on all aspects of trust and portfolio management for individuals, families, nonprofits and foundations.

Nancy Gardiner is a Senior Vice President at Hemenway Trust Company, where she brings deep investment management and fiduciary experience to HTC’s clientele. Serving as a trustee, Nancy advises on all aspects of trust and portfolio management for individuals, families, nonprofits and foundations. She also works with families on the transition of wealth from one generation to the next, with a particular focus on personal as well as legal, financial, and philanthropic objectives.

Nancy’s clients include families and individuals throughout New England. She advises clients on developing and implementing tax-efficient wealth-transfer strategies for a variety of complex assets, including planning for family lands, the dynamics of passing on family businesses, and the sentimental connection to special collections and art. Nancy serves as a trustee of numerous charitable trusts and foundations.

In addition to her role at HTC, Nancy is Of Counsel at Hemenway & Barnes LLP, where her work focuses on legal services for nonprofit organizations and the creation and operation of family offices. Nancy works with families on governance, succession and all facets of family office creation, operation and management. She also advises individuals and families on the full spectrum of charitable giving, including the creation of charitable vehicles such as private foundations and donor advised funds (DAFs), as well as advising families and individuals regarding areas of interest and the structuring of individual gifts.

Activities and Publications

Nancy presents and writes on nonprofit management and charitable giving topics. She has spoken on all facets of philanthropy, including how it is an integral part of a family’s legacy, to groups including the Family Office Exchange, Planned Giving Group of New England (PGGNE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Community Involvement

Board of Trustees, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Board of Governors, Colby College Museum of Art, Co-Chair Governance Committee
Board Member of TSNE Missionworks (formerly Third Sector New England)
Board Member of US Friends of The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Former Trustee and Board President of the Winsor School

Education

JD, University of Virginia School of Law (editorial staff of The Virginia Tax Review)
AB, Harvard University (magna cum laude)

Bar Admissions

Massachusetts

Memberships

Boston Bar Association
Massachusetts Bar Association

“Most of my clients are individuals and families. For many, I am ‘first call’ for questions – no issue is too big or too small. I work with clients on the whole picture. This includes advising clients on how to talk with their children about family wealth, how to transition wealth from one generation to the next, how to achieve desired philanthropic goals and how to craft their legacy. I also work with nonprofit organizations. My personal commitment to volunteer work over the years has helped me approach the highly nuanced issues relating to governance, and structuring gifts in a tax-sensitive way that respects the wishes of all the parties involved. Listening is important to me. I am satisfied only when I hear my clients tell me that I’ve exceeded their expectations.”

— Nancy Gardiner’s Comments on Working with Families and Philanthropy