Pentera Webinars

Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA Debra Mesch, PhD

Retirement, Gender, and Philanthropy

Presented by:
Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA
President, CEO & CMO Pentera, Inc.

Debra Mesch, PhD
Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University
Eileen Lamb O’Gara Chair in Women’s Philanthropy

Webinar Description:
Join us for an early look at the newest report from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, How Men and Women give Around Retirement, and learn how to apply the research findings in your own work in planned giving. Claudine Donikian, Pentera President, will talk about the implications of the research and offer practical ideas to enhance planned giving strategies. The report examines whether patterns of giving around retirement follow the same pattern as other types of spending, whether men and women give differently around retirement, and how households with different wealth or income levels approach retirement giving.

Watch Now »

Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.

How to Begin a Gift Conversation/Skills for Successful Gift Conversations

Presented by:
Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.
Assistant Vice President, Gift Planning
Northwell Health Foundation

Webinar Description:
Personal meeting time is some of the most valuable time for cultivating new planned giving donors. In this Pentera webinar, Alex Brovey shares how you can make the most of this time. Her insightful presentation explores how to prepare yourself for donor meetings, identify goals of the meetings, and recognize cues and clues prospects and donors share that allow exploration of the right gift(s) for each donor based on the donor’s assets, needs, goals, and timing.

Watch Now »

Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®

Wills That Won't: A 30-Year National Study of Charitable Planning Additions, Deletions, and Ultimate Estate Transfers

Presented by:
Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor
Department of Personal Financial Planning
Texas Tech University

Webinar Description:
This session reviews results from a national longitudinal study tracking charitable estate plans among older adults across many years. Participants will learn about new and emerging trends and how to best take advantage of them. In addition, this study tracks the post-mortem estate distributions for more than 12,000 decedents whose lifetime planning was tracked across many years. Learn what was really important, and what wasn’t, in generating actual dollars transferred to charity and how this information can improve your results in marketing to potential bequest donors.

Watch Now »

Jackie W. Franey

The How of Giving—Shifting an Organizational Culture to Raise Noncash Assets

Presented by:
Jackie W. Franey
JW Franey Consulting, LLC

Webinar Description:
Getting donors to think about making gifts from noncash assets is gaining a lot of attention in philanthropic circles, and for good reason. However, we know that donors often lack awareness of the range of available giving vehicles and options, thinking of cash when making a significant charitable gift. We also know that fundraisers that are unfamiliar or hesitant to have noncash asset discussions with donors may leave it up to donors to determine how they will fund their gifts. Award-winning planned giving professional Jackie W. Franey will discuss how, by leveraging the expertise of your gift planning staff, your organization can maximize opportunities to increase donor impact and move your organization’s perspective to one based on raising significantly larger and more transformational gifts.

Watch Now »

Shari Fox

Planned Giving Starting Blocks: How to Get Your Program Off and Running

Presented by:
Shari Fox
Fox Philanthropic Advisors

Webinar Description:
Are you with one of the many nonprofit organizations without dedicated planned giving staff? If so, this session is for you. By the end of our hour together, you will have concrete tactics to start and sustain a basic planned giving program. This is not an overly technical session! We will emphasize bequests and retirement-plan beneficiary designations as well as basic, non-cash, outright gifts of marketable securities and IRA QCDs. The discussion will include a review of relevant tax benefits of these types of gifts as well as simple ways to integrate messaging with existing communications. Join us for tips you can put into action right away to raise more money for your organization's important work.

Watch Now »

Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.

Life Stage Plans That Benefit People Who Do Not Have Taxable Estates – MOST OF US!

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
President
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
The high threshold for federal estate taxes means fewer people are estate planning these days. But in this new Pentera webinar, Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D., explains why that’s a mistake. In her upbeat and entertaining style, Pamela discusses the many life stage gifts that provide individuals and couples meaningful quality-of-life, income, and tax advantages. She’ll also talk about how charitable gift planners can best “cast their line” for repeatable and advantageous gift opportunities.

Watch Now »

William D. Samers

Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Charitable Estate-Planning Documents: The Significance of Beneficiary Designations Alongside Wills and Trusts

Presented by:
William D. Samers
Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments
UJA-Federation of New York

Webinar Description:
Join us for an in-depth examination of the ever-evolving landscape of charitable estate planning, providing you with the tools and insights to act effectively in your role as a planned giving professional. In this informative presentation, Bill will explore the dynamic changes in estate-planning documents, emphasizing the crucial role of beneficiary designations alongside wills and trusts in your efforts to maximize philanthropy for your organization. Discover how beneficiary designations can streamline the process of leaving assets to charities, simplifying your donor’s charitable estate planning and bolstering donor relationships. Explore how bequests from wills and trusts are also a major source of charitable gifts. These bequests can empower donors to create more elaborate, lasting philanthropic legacies benefiting both their donor intent and your charitable organization. I will also explain how to diminish the challenges in obtaining the funds from the trustees when a designation form is used.

Watch Now »

Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®

Baby Boomers and Planned Giving: A Very Special Generation or Just Typical Old People?

Presented by:
Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor
Department of Personal Financial Planning
Texas Tech University

Webinar Description:

In this irreverent and entertaining session, Dr. James reviews nationally representative data on Baby Boomers and their planned giving. Beyond simple statistics, this session demonstrates how these demographic realities and age-related psychological factors should change how and when you communicate planned giving information to Boomers. If you want a session based on hard data that goes beyond "just so" stories with obligatory pictures of Woodstock, Vietnam, and Neil Armstrong, then this is the place for you!

Benefits of this session:

  • Learn what makes Baby Boomers tick based on data-based research
  • Discover how to best talk about planned giving with Boomers
  • Unlock the best timing for planned giving discussions with this vital generation

Watch Now »

Jackie W. Franey Lynn Malzone Ierardi, J.D.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Presented by:
Jackie W. Franey & Lynn Malzone Ierardi, J.D.

Webinar Description:
More than 170 years ago, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr observed, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” or “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

This now famous proverb reminds us that even in the most turbulent times, superficial changes do little more than lock the status quo more firmly in place. The world of gift planning is no different. The turbulence of the last few years and advances over the decades have triggered big changes in gift planning, yet, at a deeper level, the fundamentals have stayed the same.

In this session, two experienced professionals (with more than 60 combined years in gift planning) will share the changes they have observed during their careers and, more important, some of the strategies they have used consistently and successfully in a variety of gift planning scenarios.

Benefits of this session:

  • Obtain time-tested strategies useful in virtually all gift planning programs
  • Review the many changes affecting the way gift planners work
  • Discover the essentials that have remained consistent and successful despite the changes

Watch Now »

Donald Kent Emily R. Neubert, CFP®

Values-Driven Donor Engagement and Planning Considerations in 2023

Presented by:

Donald Kent
Principal and Financial Advisor

Emily R. Neubert, CFP®
Director of Family Governance —Wealth Strategies Group

Jennifer Ostberg CFP®
Director of Personal Philanthropy

Webinar Description:

In a recent study of family philanthropy, nearly two-thirds of respondents cited “instilling philanthropic values and a sense of moral responsibility” as their top strategy for engaging the next generation. In this two-part webinar hosted by Berstein’s Don Kent, Emily Neubert CFP® and Jennifer Ostberg CFP® will share ways to bring families together around charitable giving and highly effective giving strategies well suited to meet the challenges of today’s economy. 

Benefits of this session:

  • Gain a framework to help families establish a tradition of giving, aligning loved ones around core values, fostering financial education, and transmitting altruistism to future generations.
  • Learn about how the charitable remainder trust is well suited to withstand current economic pressures while providing meaningful impact and benefits to donors and recipients.

Watch Now »

Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.

11 Steps Your Charity Can Take This Year for Planned Giving Success

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
President
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
There are steps every charity can immediately take to begin integrating planned gift ideas and appeals into its overall development program—and to introduce planned giving concepts to nearly all of its prospects. This session will cover 11 no- or low-cost steps, both practical and doable for staff, board members, and volunteers to establish and sustain proactive gift planning and to set activity-based goals in this critical aspect of fundraising. Both new and existing programs will benefit from this presentation that will include a description of simpler gift options in the materials.

Watch Now »

Russell James

Top Ten Legacy Fundraising Strategies from Scientific Research: National Data and Results from the Lab

Presented by:
Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor
Department of Personal Financial Planning
Texas Tech University

Webinar Description:
After 15 years in academic research (plus more than a decade in frontline planned and major gifts fundraising), Professor James brings together scientific results from economics, neuroscience, psychology, demographics, and other disciplines to present the ten most important and effective strategies for increasing fundraising success in planned gifts. Beyond just "war stories," this presentation gives you a deep understanding of what works—and why—in effective legacy fundraising.

Watch Now »

Joe Bull

Inflation: Its Impact on Philanthropy and Your Organization

Presented by:
Joe Bull
Founder and Principal
Philanthropy Advisory Council, LLC

Webinar Description:
To anyone under the age of 50, high rates of inflation are something to be read about in the history books. Those over 50 are likely to have personal remembrances of long gas lines and double-digit home mortgage interest rates. With inflation rates currently at 40-year highs, many charitable gift planners and professional advisors are scrambling to determine how these higher inflation rates will impact both their organizations/practices and their donors/clients. This session will cover a basic economics lesson on how inflation works, how inflation affects philanthropy in general, and how gift planners and advisors can leverage higher inflation rates for the benefit of their donors/clients.

Watch Now »

Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.

Simpler Gift Plans All Charities Can Understand and Promote, Most Without Administration

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
President
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
This session will provide "CliffsNotes" of the most likely planned gift options that all charities can understand and promote with most of its prospects. This CliffsNotes "cheat sheet" can be used by staff, the board, and volunteers to actively encourage prospects to consider how to best use assets that either now or in future will be a problem to dispose of or distribute—oftentimes within a highly advantageous charitable plan. Beneficiary designations of qualified retirement plans will be featured, as will other lifetime options (both revocable and irrevocable)—which can produce needed cash gifts now, including the IRA charitable rollover.

Watch Now »

Laura Padron Livia Souza

Pathway to Philanthropist Program: How Florida International University Is Redefining Charitable Giving

Presented by:
Laura Padron
Associate Vice President
Florida International University Foundation

Livia Souza
Associate Director of Estate & Planned Giving
Florida International University Foundation

Webinar Description:
Traditional planned and blended giving have limited impact perceptions that are targeted for major and principal gift donors. Florida International University's Pathway to Philanthropist program (P2P) is a nontraditional model that helps midlevel capacity donors realize they, too, can advance an institution today and in the future. P2P's financially inclusive approach leverages donors' capacity and passion—realizing their philanthropic goals and transforming their philanthropic experience. Through P2P, development professionals serve as philanthropic advisors empowering donors to grow endowment funding, meet current cash needs, and establish a philanthropic legacy. P2P redefines charitable giving by creating inclusive philanthropic opportunities for first-generation philanthropists.

Watch Now »

Lynn Malzone Ierardi, J.D. Greg Johnson, MPA, CFP

Gift Annuities: From Plain Vanilla to Hot Fudge Sundae!

Presented by:
Lynn Malzone Ierardi, J.D.
Director of Gift Planning
The University of Pennsylvania

Greg Johnson, MPA, CFP©
Director of Gift Planning
The University of Pennsylvania

Webinar Description:
Charitable gift annuities are popular with donors in part because they are simple and straight forward—the plain vanilla. But gift annuities can be customized for your donor—in flavors and ways perhaps you've never considered. In this session we will review and discuss the various structures, implications, and opportunities available for donors and charitable organizations using charitable gift annuities.

We will start with a review of the plain vanilla gift annuity, move through more uncommon funding assets and gift structures (the sprinkles and the nuts), and finish with a new and different concept: the Penn Impact Annuity. This unique and novel gift structure was created by the University of Pennsylvania to enable donors to make a truly blended gift by combining a current gift with a life-income gift in one vehicle—a hot fudge sundae! Your fundraising gifts teams will have a whole new perspective about collaborating with you to cultivate and solicit gift annuities when you introduce this concept.

Watch Now »

Stacy B. Sulman, J.D.

Metrics Made Manageable: Making Planned Giving Data Work for You

Presented by:
Stacy B. Sulman, J.D.
Chief Legal Officer and Vice President for Personalized Philanthropy
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Webinar Description:
As the world relies more and more on data and metrics, you and your planned giving department can too. And you don't need a degree in math. You can use available data to develop realistic and manageable metrics to support your planned giving efforts. This session seeks to demystify data and metrics and provide some basic tools to tell your planned giving success stories to your supervisors, your management, or your board.

Specifically, this session will identify the five steps to using data to make planned giving data work for you. This includes identifying different kinds of organizational data that are readily available within the context of planned giving—whether it be legacy donor prospects, legacy event attendance, responses to mailings, web traffic, or estates in settlement—and then using such data to show your effectiveness. Through this session, it is hoped, you will gain the techniques and confidence to identify and use data to make your own case for planned giving achievement.

Watch Now »

Russell James, J.D.

New Results from 380 Years of National Data on Charitable Bequest Gifts

Presented by:
Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor & CH Foundation Chair in Personal Financial Planning
Director of Graduate Studies in Charitable Planning
Texas Tech University

Webinar Description:
Understanding how to be effective in legacy gift fundraising starts with reality. How are these gifts made? Who makes them and who doesn't? When do they get added or dropped? Who is your competition? Where does the money really come from? Who should I be talking to? When should I be talking with them? This presentation answers these questions by reviewing the most pleasant, and the most painful, realities of charitable estate giving across 380 years of data.

Watch Now »

Alexandra P. Brovey Kate Kaming

Breaking the Ice: Collaboration of Major and Planned Gifts Departments to Navigate Obstacles, Discover Solutions, and Maximize Gift Opportunities

Presented by:
Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.
Senior Director of Gift Planning
Northwell Health Foundation

Kate Kaming
Senior Director for Cancer Development
Northwell Health

Webinar Description:
The ultimate goal of every fundraiser is to maximize gift opportunities. The majority of us need to work collaboratively to solicit the largest gifts from our donors. This session will be led by a major gift/planned gift duo who have collaborated on and closed a variety of gifts together. The presenters will share their experiences by discussing three specific gift scenarios and assist in identifying common goals and obstacles to working together. They will then explore how collaboration advances and maximizes the gift discussion, including:

  • Identifying respective goals and obstacles in working collaboratively with institutional partners in a matrix organization.
  • Discussing a variety of gift scenarios and applying the strategies identified to advance gift discussions.
  • Exploring solution-oriented strategies that enable the team to close gifts.

Watch Now »

Joe Bull

What ALL Gift Officers Should Know About Taxes

Presented by:
Joe Bull
Founder and Principal
Philanthropy Advisory Council, LLC.

Webinar Description:
Both gift planning and major gift officers often encounter situations where tax consequences impact the type and amount of a donor's gift. While you may be conversant in tax lingo, do you truly understand the theory of the underlying tax principles, how the various tax issues interact with each other, and how they affect a gift?

This session is designed to give you a solid foundation of tax basics so that you can speak confidently with donors while knowing your limits.

We encourage you to invite all of your major gift colleagues to this session. This will provide you with both a common understanding and avenues for ongoing dialogue and collaboration.

Watch Now »

Pamela Jones Davidson

The Board's Role in Gift Planning and How to Propel Gift Conversations with Donors, Volunteers, and Board Members

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
President
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
This session addresses the realities of planned giving fundraising and what that means both internally and externally to the charity that engages in it proactively. All development programs will benefit from this presentation that will cover:

  • Goal setting and pragmatic details about what it takes to start and sustain a proactive gift planning program.
  • The role of the nonprofit's board in fundraising—what board members can do, individually and collectively, to create and then continue a proactive plan to help the organization raise significant gifts of assets from donors.
  • How to propel gift conversations with donors, volunteers, and board members by discussing the benefits of gifts at various life stages using assets that donors may be looking to diversify.

Watch Now »

Russell James

Raising Major Gifts of Assets in the Aftermath of COVID-19: New Strategies for a New World

Presented by:
Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor, The CH Foundation Chair of Personal Financial Planning
Texas Tech University

Webinar Description:
The new world has brought new challenges and new opportunities. There are new laws, new economic circumstances, new attitudes, and new communication concerns. In this presentation, Dr. James reviews the "why" and the "how" of raising major gifts of assets in this setting. You will leave with practical examples of new conversation scripts and new planning techniques that work in today's environment.

Watch Now »

William D. Samers

All About the Planned Giving Ask

Presented by:
William D. Samers
Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments
UJA-Federation of New York

Webinar Description:
One of the largest challenges for planned giving/development officers is asking for a planned gift from donors because it often requires a different strategy than traditional solicitations. This presentation will focus on who, when, what, and how to ask for a planned gift. It will help you navigate into the position to make more asks and provide you with various tools to make more successful asks. Finally, it will offer strategies to move the gift from an ask to completion.

Watch Now »

Diane M. Strachan, CFRE

Gifts of Art: A Primer for Estate and Gift Planners

Presented by:
Diane M. Strachan, CFRE
Cleveland Museum of Art
Director of Individual Philanthropy and Planned Giving

Webinar Description:
This session will review varying aspects of the disposition of works of art. For example, what are the basic tax and legal implications for the person who has a beloved collection, of donating the collection, selling it, partially selling it, or selling it at a bargain sale price? We will also investigate practical matters when making planning decisions regarding works of art, such as insurance, transferring title, gifting the entire collection, acquiring an appraisal, etc. We will discuss accepting works of art from the institution's perspective and why it is important to understand this process when advising donors or clients.

Watch Now »

Stacy B. Sulman, J.D.

One Year Later: Planned Giving Strategies and Vehicles One Year into COVID-19

Presented by:
Stacy B. Sulman, J.D.
Vice President for Personalized Philanthropy and Legal Affairs
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Webinar Description:
Last spring, as the lockdowns and other shocks and consequences of COVID-19 overcame us, we all wondered how the pandemic would impact our efforts to raise planned and estate gifts. Would our communications have to change? Would our expectations need to be managed?

Now we have a year behind us. Though we may not have definitive answers, we have more insight and experience. Looking back at the past year, this session will review effective planned giving strategies and vehicles, reflecting on what has changed and what remains constant. Specifically, this session will address:

  • Tax sensitivities and concerns, especially in light of new legislation
  • What planned giving vehicles work best now
  • Legacy societies and outreach when in-person meetings are not possible

It is hoped that planned giving strategies and messaging will help our donors see beyond today's uncertain maelstroms towards a stable and secure future for themselves and our institutions.

Watch Now »

Joe Bull

Stewardship for Planned Gift Donors

Presented by:
Joe Bull
Founder and Principal
Philanthropy Advisory Council

Webinar Description:
Charitable gift planners face myriad demands on their time. There are not enough hours in the day to fully engage in all of those demands. All too often organizations place a priority on gift transactions, and the all-important stewardship activities of a gift planning office are downplayed or delayed. Studies show that the mean and median ages at death of those who make a charitable bequest are 87 and 89 and that the majority of those wills were written within five years of death. Inattention to the stewardship of your planned gift donors might be financially detrimental to your organization if those donors do not include your organization in their final will. In addition, adequately recognizing and stewarding your planned gift donors is just the right thing to do.

This webinar will examine the underpinnings of a solid planned giving donor relations effort and how it can be implemented within time constraints.

Watch Now »

Paul S. Lee

Congress, Charity, & COVID-19: Top Tax- and Estate-Planning Techniques Today

Presented by:
Paul S. Lee, J.D., LL.M.
Chief Tax Strategist
The Northern Trust Company

Webinar Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled global economies, causing asset values and interest rates to plummet, and the election results could dramatically change the planning landscape. Clients and donors are fearful for their health and wealth and of the uncertainty that lies ahead. This presentation will discuss straightforward and innovative planning opportunities for families and charities that best take advantage of both the "expiring" and "permanent" provisions of the tax law, with an eye toward anticipated changes to the future planning landscape.

Watch Now »

Jeremy L. Scarbrough, J.D.

Gift Planning: Empowering Collaboration and Donors for Blended Giving

Presented by:
Jeremy L. Scarbrough, J.D.
Rutgers University Foundation

Webinar Description:
This program presents gift planning as an accessible framework to empower the cultivation process and deliver on donors’ priorities resulting in bold gift asks only possible through blended gift plans. Full of anecdotes and grounded in tax-planning principles, this program will empower any in attendance - even the most seasoned gift planning officer.

Watch Now »

Lorraine del Prado Elena Pullen-Venema

Estate Planning and Planned Giving with a Social and Racial Justice Framework

Presented by:
Lorraine del Prado
Principal of del Prado Philanthropy and
Vice President of Thompson & Associates

Elena Pullen-Venema
Director of Gift Planning
Community Foundation of Snohomish County

Webinar Description:
The need to work together toward building a more just and inclusive world has gripped this nation. Individuals have expressed a desire to be part of this movement through their personal behavior, work, advocacy, volunteering, political action, and charitable contributions. There is another important way for individuals to take part in the pursuit of greater equity - they can also apply a social and racial justice framework in their estate planning and planned giving.

In this Webinar, our presenters will share some historic drivers of the racial wealth gap and will provide various ways to incorporate social and racial justice values in estate plans and planned gifts. They will provide some insights that you may find useful in your own personal planning and in preparing for conversations with supporters who are seeking to align their estate plans with the pursuit of a more just and equitable society.

Watch Now »

Donald Kent Anne Bucciarelli, CFA

Philanthropic Giving Trends and Insights from Private Wealth Clients During COVID-19

Presented by:
Donald Kent
Principal and Financial Advisor
Bernstein

Anne Bucciarelli, CFA
Head, Philanthropy; Co-Head, Family Engagement
Bernstein

Webinar Description:
This session will focus on philanthropic giving and the trends we are seeing today. With the current health crisis, donors are more focused on planning, impact, legacy, and their own mortality. We will discuss where charitable dollars are being directed, the CARES Act, and both charitable and noncharitable strategies that are attractive. We will also share insights from conversations with Bernstein Private Wealth Management's clients as they navigate mission, vision, involving the next generation, and governance into their philanthropic plan and changes they've made to address the current world environment.

Watch Now »

Joe Bull, J.D.

Gifts of Personal Property, a New Opportunity During COVID-19?

Presented by:
Joe Bull, J.D.

Webinar Description:
By mid-June the country will be adjusting to the reopening of the economy. For gift planners, this will most likely involve a return to gift conversations with donors. But what will be the mindset of these generous people? Gifts of appreciated stock will be less attractive if their portfolios have taken a hit. Some donors are likely to be examining downsizing. Valuable items, or "tangible personal property," could be given to their favorite charitable organization rather than being sold.

This session will address what types of personal property donors can use for charitable contributions, how donors can best donate it, and the implications for the recipient charity. Please note that this Webinar covers "tangible personal property" and not "real property" (real estate).

Watch Now »

Stacy B. Sulman

Planned Giving in This New World: A Discussion of Gift Vehicles Within the Context of COVID-19

Presented by:
Stacy B. Sulman, J.D.
Vice President
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Webinar Description:
To varying degrees, we will all have to figure out how to adapt styles, expectations, and gifts to the pandemic and post-pandemic world. This session will look at the basic gift vehicles underlying planned giving - from estate gifts to charitable gift annuities - but within the very new context faced by both our donors and our organizations. We will explore the benefits and challenges posed by these gift plans - both in the short term and, hopefully, in the long term after the pandemic.

Watch Now »

Lynn Malzone Ierardi, JD

Principles of the Face-to-Face Visit: Engaging Donors During and After COVID-19

Presented by:
Lynn Malzone Ierardi, J.D.
Director of Gift Planning
The University of Pennsylvania

Webinar Description:
Given the current crisis circumstances, it may be a while before we are able to visit with donors in a coffee shop, over lunch, or in a living room. Nevertheless, we must continue to engage donors and stakeholders. We can apply many of the same principles of successful visits - preparation, execution, and follow up - to our calls and virtual visits. In this session, we will review these steps to maximize the success of our outreach now and prepare for the days when we are finally able to go back to those coffee shops, restaurants, and living rooms for face-to-face visits.

Watch Now »

Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.

Zen and the Art of Fundraising: Coping During COVID-19

Presented by:
Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.
Senior Director, Gift Planning
Northwell Health Foundation

Webinar Description:
What qualities do successful fundraisers possess that help them succeed at their jobs and will also help them get through these difficult times caused by the COVID-19 crisis? The multitude of relationships we build with donors and colleagues are based on a critical set of skills that go beyond technical or trade expertise. These skills, which I call pillars, are ones that successful fundraisers - indeed, successful people - possess and continue to hone. Join me as I explore a variety of situations that fundraisers are now facing daily due to COVID-19 - from phone calls to virtual meetings and visits - and apply the 16 pillars to help cope with challenging situations like the one we are in now - and succeed.

Watch Now »

Emil Kallina, II, J.D., LL.M.

The CARES Act: Its Effects on Charitable Giving Law and Other Related Coronavirus Legislation

Presented by:
Emil Kallina, II, J.D., LL.M.
Kallina & Associates, LLC

Webinar Description:
Congress and the president have enacted broad-reaching financial legislation designed to deal with the economic crisis created by the Coronavirus. Charities need to know how they can benefit from changes in the charitable-giving law. Charities also need to be acutely aware of federal loans and grants under the CARES Act and tangential legislation.

Watch Now »

Ron Brown

America Is a Given Place: A Brief History of Charitable Gift Planning

Presented by:
Ron Brown

Webinar Description:
Where can you turn for knowledge of events that shape gift planning today? In this webinar you will learn the deepest original foundations of gift planning in the U.S. by seeing major events, appreciating important innovations, and re-enacting landmark national debates and resulting legislation. What benefits can you expect from watching America Is a Given Place? Knowing the history of charitable gift planning is quite useful, even indispensable, for people who encourage or advise donors. Here is a sampler of your benefits: You will understand the principles behind laws, regulations, and practices so you can explain why things work the way they do; history informs your marketing; stories of realized bequests and trusts are historical narratives; good stories provide you with insights into how donors, planners, and policymakers saw themselves and their mission and inspire you to connect more deeply; historical trends in mortality and investment returns play a fundamental role in your gift design and tax calculations; history enables you to know yourself and your important role in America's highly evolved system of philanthropy. The bottom line is: you will be a better-informed, more effective gift planner.

Watch Now »

Jane Danek

It's Only a Bequest? A Comprehensive Overview of Gift Planning's Most Important - And Overlooked - Gift

Presented by:
Jane Danek
Deputy Director of Gift Planning
Princeton University

Webinar Description:
Bequest intentions and other deferred giving arrangements can be the catalyst to major endowed funds or the finishing touch to a truly beautiful lifetime gift. Deferred giving, both revocable and irrevocable, can make your prospective donors' dreams for your organization come true. So why aren't you helping them do that?

Jane Danek never misses a chance to either ask for a testamentary gift or to thank her legacy society members at Princeton. Princeton is considered "the Gold Standard" when it comes to realized bequests, raising more dollars per donor than any of the Ivies. In this webinar, you'll learn why Princeton emphasizes and celebrates bequest intentions across the spectrum of giving groups and how bequest cultivation can help you increase both current and deferred gifts. Topics include "what is a bequest," how to "make the ask," counting and crediting, documenting, marketing, and stewardship.

Watch Now »

J. Edward Sandifer, J.D.

Deal or Dilemma: Gifts of Noncash Assets

Presented by:
J. Edward Sandifer, J.D.
Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.

Webinar Description:
Is cash really king? In a recent examination of one million federal income-tax returns conducted by renowned Texas Tech University professor Russell James, James reported that only 2% to 3% of actual wealth is held in cash accounts. We will focus on the remaining 97% of wealth in America: noncash assets.

This presentation will provide a fundamental overview of various noncash assets, their benefits, and their pitfalls. It will also explore the interrelated publications that have been issued by the Internal Revenue Service as guidance to the charity, the donor, and the donor's advisor. We will conclude by examining a couple case studies that highlight how gifts of noncash assets can be a great deal or a real dilemma.

Watch Now »

Alexandra P. Brovey

Zen and the Art of Fundraising Parts I, II, and III

Presented by:
Alexandra P. Brovey, J.D., LL.M.
Senior Director, Gift Planning
Northwell Health Foundation

Webinar Description:
Successful fundraisers possess a combination of technical and non-technical skills. This presentation will focus on 8 traits - or pillars - of success for all fundraisers. We will explore being in the moment, listening, compassion, curiosity, humility, patience, a sense of humor, and mentoring through a Zen filter. By the end of this presentation, you should be able to tie the pillars to your everyday fundraising tasks and increase your success in fundraising as well as in life.

Part 1 - Watch Now »

Part 2 - Watch Now »

Part 3 - Watch Now »

Meryl R. Cosentino, J.D.

All You Really Need to Know About Planned Giving You Learned in Kindergarten

Presented by:
Meryl R. Cosentino, J.D.

Webinar Description:
It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't. Discover how the lessons we learned in kindergarten - Share, Play Fair, ABCs, and Building Blocks - can be applied to your career as a planned giving officer and increase legacy support for your charity. If you are looking for insights to enhance your planned giving prowess, then this session is for you! Meryl will show you how mastering these basic lessons has enabled her to raise more than $13 million in new bequest intentions during her four years at Stony Brook University. Cookies, milk, and planned giving are a winning combination.

Watch Now »

Russell N. James

Using Donor Surveys in Planned Gift Marketing

Presented by:
Russell N. James III, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®
Professor & CH Foundation Chair in Personal Financial Planning
Director of Graduate Studies in Charitable Planning

Webinar Description:
A number of organizations have experienced remarkable success using the donor survey. In this session, Dr. James reviews the scientific research, academic theory, and real-world practical applications of how to use donor surveys to identify prospects, increase interest in planned giving, and even measure the success of your overall marketing efforts.

Watch Now »

Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.

Cues and Clues: What Prospects Are Telling You and What You Need to Say

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
Donors will tell you everything you need to know - if you only listen. They will tell you how poor their CD rate is, how they must take required minimum distributions, how certain assets are increasingly difficult to manage, and that they want to sell an asset - but, oh, those taxes! This session will identify many of the impediments to giving that prospects are expressing - and discuss how you can respond to them.

Development's role is to move the process along - to promote a gift conversation between prospects and a staff person who is versed in how to talk with prospects about gift plans that are often funded during a life stage that includes impediments to giving. Fortunately, the majority of gift plans will be simple and repeatable. Experts are available when needed. A local community foundation can often address many gift-planning inquiries and is a valuable resource and tool to promote gift plans for your charity that the community foundation can administer for you.

Watch Now »

Emil Kallina, II, J.D., LL.M.

Charitable Planning in Light of Tax Reform - We Never Had It So Good!

Presented by:
Emil Kallina, II, J.D., LL.M.
Kallina & Associates, LLC

Webinar Description:
We all know of the numerous major alterations in our system of tax - starting with changes in the rules for individual income taxes; reduced taxes for corporations; and increased exemptions for estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfers. The webinar will consider new planning opportunities for the charitable planner, along with some old ones that are still viable.

Watch Now »

Smart Planning for Retirement-Plan Assets: How to Avoid Heavy Taxes for Loved Ones by Making Charitable Gifts

Presented by:
Pamela Jones Davidson, J.D.
Davidson Gift Design

Webinar Description:
Donors are often unaware of mistakes made when they are making plans about what assets to distribute to family versus to their preferred charities. In this Webinar we will discuss the many benefits of making gifts of retirement plans to charity instead of to loved ones. We will discuss how inheriting qualified retirement plans can impose a heavy tax burden on loved ones because they will have to pay income taxes. But charitably inclined donors can reduce that burden by giving some percentage, or all, of their retirement assets to the charities of their choice - and leaving their loved ones other assets that have little or no tax burden. Retirement-plan gifts to charity are also attractive because they in no way reduce the amount available for use during the lives of the plan owner and spouse because the gift isn't made until death. And such gifts are revocable if necessary, with the ability to change beneficiaries accomplished easily - even online. Another creative use for retirement-plan assets we will discuss is that they can also be used to fund a charitable trust that can improve with the market and be funded pre-tax, giving income to loved ones for 20 years, for example, with the remainder going to charity.

Watch Now »