Written By: Anat Becker, JD

We all know the phrase (from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible), "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." What a time these months have been: of learning to listen better and more deeply; of understanding what it truly means to be flexible and adaptive; of learning to be quiet and calm in the midst of chaos and uncertainty; of learning to be docile--teachable--and realizing that I know I don't know so much. For the fundraiser and those who help others to realize their philanthropic passions, more than ever, I hope we are learning to put our donors and those for whom we carry on our work in the center of all we do. This time will pass; a new time will come...

Christopher Jungers, CFRE, CAP
President, Association of Fundraising Professionals – Greater Philadelphia Chapter

Dear Friends,

My friend and fellow Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia board member, Christopher Jungers, shared the reflection above with me. Christopher’s words resonated with my own experience during the pandemic and its aftermath in recent months.

In these turbulent times, the planned giving field can still offer donors ways to support the philanthropic community of greater Philadelphia. And PGCGP is here to continue and support your work through continuing education and networking opportunities. 

I hope that you’ve enjoyed our recent series of lectures offered in lieu of Planned Giving Day.  With a wide array of offerings – from an inspiring presentation about philanthropy and diversity, to efforts to streamline our work with retirement gifts, to taking stock of the health of your charitable gift annuity program – just to name a few. If you had registered and missed some of these excellent sessions, please be sure to review the recordings. 

Please be sure to sign up for Jon Tidd’s presentation on January 28, as well as Claudine Pentera’s presentation on March 26. Both are excellent speakers and their insights will be especially welcome as we continue to navigate new ways and approaches to promoting philanthropy.

This will be my last letter as president of PGCGP as my tenure comes to an end next month. It’s been a pleasure to learn with you and I look forward to seeing you all in person very soon.

With my best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season and a very happy 2021.