Roger D. Silk

Dr. Roger D. Silk is a leading expert in finance, philanthropy, and wealth management with over three decades of experience advising high net worth individuals and families. He is the CEO of Sterling Foundation Management, LLC, one of the first national charitable consulting and management firms in the United States.

Roger is also the President of Lifetime Perspectives, Inc., an organisation that provides innovative solutions in philanthropy and finance. He is a founder and board member of several non-profit organisations and a former bond trader at the World Bank.

Roger is also the author of several books, including:

• Managing Foundations and Charitable Trusts (Wiley, July 2011)
• Creating a Private Foundation (2010, Wiley)
• Politicians Spend, We Pay (Sterling Lifetime Press, 2022)
• His recent book, The Investor's Dilemma Decoded, was published in April 2024 by Wiley, is a guide on personal finance. 

Roger has published many articles that have appeared in periodicals such as Estate Planning, Philanthropy, the Journal of Financial Planning and Trusts & Estates. 

In addition, he is the author of two important studies relating to the optimal use of charitable vehicles in various tax planning contexts. 

As a speaker, Roger has also spoken to audiences around the country on the types and uses of charitable entities. He also frequently conducts educational seminars for financial professionals focusing on the integration of the full suite of charitable entities into the financial planning process.
Roger holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Applied Economics from Stanford University, as well as a B.A. in Economics (with distinction). He earned his CFA in 1990.

Roger D. Silk, Ph.D. is the CEO of Sterling Foundation Management, LLC and President of Lifetime Perspectives, Inc. Dr. Silk is widely recognized as a leading expert and innovator in the emerging field at the intersection of finance and philanthropy. 

Dr. Silk has more than four decades of experience working with and advising wealthy clients, high net worth families, and the advisors who work with them on a variety of issues ranging from the use of private foundations to the integration of sophisticated charitable planning into multi-generational estate plans. He has worked with numerous investment, accounting, financial planning, and legal professionals to educate them, their firms, and their clients about the benefits and characteristics of a full suite of solutions, entities and planning tools.

Dr. Silk is the author of several books, including Managing Foundations and Charitable Trusts, Creating a Private Foundation, and Politicians Spend, We Pay. He has published dozens of articles that have appeared in periodicals such as Estate Planning, Philanthropy, the Journal of Financial Planning and Trusts & Estates. He has spoken to audiences around the country on the types and uses of charitable entities, and he frequently conducts educational seminars for financial professionals focusing on integrating the full suite of charitable entities into the financial planning process.

Prior to co-founding Sterling, Dr. Silk was a treasury officer at the World Bank, where he was responsible for a multi-billion-dollar repo portfolio. Dr. Silk holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Applied Economics from Stanford University, as well as a B.A. in Economics (with distinction). He earned his CFA in 1990.

Published works

• "Managing Foundations and Charitable Trusts" by Dr. Roger D. Silk
• "Creating a Private Foundation" by Dr. Roger D. Silk
• "Politicians Spend, We Pay" by Dr. Roger D. Silk
• "The Investor's Dilemma Decoded: Recognize Misinformation, Filter the Noise, and Reach Your Goals" by Dr. Roger D. Silk and Katherine A. Silk
• Evaluating the Risks (Evaluating the Risks | Wealth Management)
• Investment Policy for Endowed Charitable Organizations (Investment Policy for Endowed Charitable Organizations | Wealth Management)
• Philanthropy Services Publications (Philanthropy Services Publications | Sterling Foundation Management (sterlingfoundations.com))
• CRT Secondary Planning Publications (CRT Secondary Planning Publications | Sterling Foundation Management (sterlingfoundations.com))