Registration for this program is closed.

PGCGP Connections

PGCGP’s community of planned giving and allied professionals offers amazing networking opportunities and a depth of expertise. As we continue to live in an increasingly virtual environment, connection and community are more important than ever. That is why PGCGP is thrilled to offer a networking session for members only as part of our January program.

You’ll have an opportunity to network with colleagues and discuss a range of topics. Facilitators and discussion questions will help you get the conversation started, and we will use Zoom breakout rooms so everyone can participate. Don’t miss this chance to connect with ideas and people that will inspire you! These sessions are free but advanced registration is required.

Topic: Reflecting on 2020 - Moving Forward in 2021!

Breakout rooms will be randomly assigned.

Registration for this program is closed.

Gift Planning Quiz

Jonathan Tidd has been presenting his Gift Planning Quiz to audiences for many years – but this will be a first in Philadelphia! This session is designed to test and increase your knowledge of gift planning. Jon will challenge attendees with a series of questions covering the whole spectrum of gift planning issues that involve tax and/or legal implications... and provide the answers at the end of the program. Will you pass the test? Join us to find out!

Jonathan Tidd, Esq. is a leading lawyer whose practice is specialized in advising organizations on charitable gift planning issues. Renowned planned giving expert, Jonathan will discuss an array of real-world cases and problems based on his personal experiences with donors and charities, with references to the tax code, IRS rulings and court cases. Issue identification is one of the skills that will be particularly emphasized during these case presentations. Jonathan’s clients include a wide range of educational, healthcare, arts, human rights and social service organizations. His articles on charitable gift planning have appeared in the Journal of Taxation; Estate Planning; Taxes, The Tax Magazine; Trusts & Estates, and other professional journals. Formerly, Jonathan served as Planned Giving Director for New York University. Jonathan is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars.

Gifts That Have Gone Wrong

What are the ethical considerations when deciding to enter into a gift agreement with a donor?  There have been numerous instances over the years where donors have become dissatisfied with how their gifts are being stewarded.  As well, charities have at times found themselves in a bind over their association with some donors.  In this presentation, Doug White will examine actual examples of where gifts have gone wrong and suggest steps charities can take to ensure that gifts are both established and stewarded properly.

Doug White is a long-time leader in the nation's philanthropic community.  He is a philanthropic and nonprofit advisor and an adjunct instructor at Southern University where he teaches board governance and ethical decision-making.  He is the former director of the Master of Science in Fundraising Management program at Columbia University, where he taught board governance, ethics and fundraising.  He writes a regular column, Ethics Corner,  for the National Capital Gift Planning Council.  He is also the author of five books on philanthropy.  His most recent, Wounded Charity, which examines the leadership crisis in 2016 at Wounded Warrior Project, was published in 2019.

Donor Stories in Planned Giving Marketing
- To Use or Not to Use

The planned giving industry assumes that donor stories are an effective way to inspire other donors and to increase engagement, including response, in marketing materials. But what is it about donor stories that inspires prospective donors to make gifts? Could certain donor stories have the opposite effect and decrease engagement and response?

To date there has been no formal, large-scale research study conducted on planned giving marketing materials to support or counter those assumptions—until now. The Pentera research study to be presented analyzes two key e-mail metrics: The click-through rate and the response rate from tens of thousands of eNewsletters that went to millions of prospective donors over several years. The study includes the surprising key finding that certain types of donor stories can actually decrease response rates. Based on the findings of the study, we will recommend when to use donor stories in marketing materials and when not to as well as what types to avoid. Guidelines are presented on how to write effective donor stories and donor blurbs to get the best response rates possible.

Claudine A. Donikian, JD, MBA, is the president/CEO and chief marketing officer of Pentera, Inc., and is regarded as one of the foremost experts in planned giving marketing. She is a sought-after speaker on the national planned giving and AFP circuits and writes and conducts training modules for Pentera training seminars. As Pentera's chief marketing officer, she is the editor-in-chief for client marketing content and personally consults with a select group of Pentera's clients on their marketing strategy and execution. One of Claudine's professional areas of expertise is women in philanthropy, and she serves as a member of the advisory board for the prestigious Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and as a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP).

Claudine oversees all aspects of Pentera's business and marketing strategies, as well as new-product development, with an emphasis on digital marketing, and she recently served on the Direct Marketing Association's Digital Innovation Committee. Under her leadership, the interactive department and client base has increased by 500 percent.

Claudine graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with highest distinction from Indiana University, received an MA in French from New York University, and holds a JD and an MBA from Boston College. She serves on the board of directors of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York in Manhattan (PPGGNY), the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund (a child abuse prevention agency), and the Brookview House (which provides housing for homeless women and children). She is an active member of CGP, PGGNE, and PPGGNY. Fluent in French, Claudine has also taught French for colleges, corporations, and adult education centers, where she was regarded as one of the top motivating teachers.