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February, 2007In this issue…
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From President Jill
Dodd’s Desk
By now everyone has probably caught their breath from the year-end
gifting rush. Please be sure to respond to the National Planned Giving
Council’s survey on IRA rollover gifts, as Chris Yates of Stanford
reminded us in our first luncheon of the year on January 11.
A big THANK YOU to departing board members Bob Cabrera, Norm Boone and
Susie McGlynn for all of your help throughout your many years of service
to NCPGC and WELCOME to new members Bert Feuss and Greg Lassonde. Bert
joins us from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Greg, who now
consults on planned giving issues, is a returning member to the board.
Welcome also to new officers Susan Shain, Vice President, and Gary
Ogburn, Treasurer.
The heart and soul of NCPGC is in our committees, and I would like to
invite each of you to consider joining a committee. Not only will you
have the pleasure of getting to know your colleagues at NCPGC better,
you will have the satisfaction of working for a cause we all believe in.
In no particular order: Kara Wertheimer chairs Membership, Tom Horton
chairs both the Primer Program and the Communications Committee (the
most recent product of which you are reading now); Bill Sheehan chairs
the Master’s Program; Greg Lassonde will be planning the Basics Program
for Fall 2007 and he and Dien Yuen will be working together to create a
standardized curriculum for our Primer and Basics programs; Susan Shain
chairs the Conference Committee, as well as being responsible for
luncheon speakers, Earl Blauner works on legislative issues and Lisa
Gurwitch on Ethics issues, Geralyne Maloney runs our Awards Committee
and Chris Nicholson our Community Relations Committee and last, but
certainly not least, Gary Ogburn chairs Finance and Planning. Finally,
Barbara Rhomberg has generously agreed to chair our Policies Task Force.
Board contact information is listed on our web site, www.ncpgcouncil.org.
I hope you’ll consider becoming more active in NCPGC this year!
Best wishes,
Jill
2007 NCPGC
Calendar
Wednesday, March 21
15th Annual NCPGC Conference; 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., The Palace Hotel,
Two Montgomery Street, San Francisco
Thursday, May 10
Luncheon Meeting – Topic TBD
Primer – “What Every Gift Planner Needs to Know About Estate Planning”
with Robert Hobson, Esq. and Michael Hobson, Esq.
Thursday, June 14
Luncheon – “Family Philanthropy” featuring Tom Rogerson
Primer – “Getting the Most Out of Your Planned Giving Marketing Program”
with Dick Lamport
Thursday, September 6
Luncheon – “Ethics” with Heidi Jark, Esq.
Primer – “How to Build Up Your Bequest Program” featuring Tom Horton
Thursday, November 8
Luncheon – Joe Bull on a topic TBD
Primer – “Essential Income, Estate and Gift Tax Rules for Gift Planners”
with Barbara Rhomberg, Esq.
15th Annual NCPGC Conference
March 21, 2007, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., The Palace Hotel, Two Montgomery
Street, San Francisco
Registration now for the 15th Annual NCPGC Conference at
http://www.ncpgcouncil.org
This year’s conference promises to be better than ever with an exciting
roster of nationally known experts in planned giving, including Robert
Sharpe, Jr., Jonathan Tidd, Jane Peebles, Tom Cullinan, Craig Wruck,
Erik Dryburgh, Fred Marcus and others.
Robert Sharpe, Jr. will kick off the conference with the introductory
keynote, “Marketing Success in Today’s Environment” and our luncheon
speaker will be nationally acclaimed story-teller, consultant, Joel ben
Izzy, speaking on “Finding Ways to Connect with People Through the Realm
of Stories.”
Member Profile – Chris Nicholson
Name: Chris Nicholson
Title: Vice President, Development
Organization: East Bay Community Foundation
Background of planned gift work: I have been gainfully employed
by the East Bay Community Foundation for ten years. During that time
period assets at the Foundation have increased from $40 million to more
than $265 million. I have helped facilitate gifts of cars, jets,
helicopters, paintings and sculptures, as well as the usual suspects
(e.g., cash, securities and real estate).
Education: University of Michigan and Harvard Law School
What do you enjoy most about your work? Helping people use
charitable tools to improve the lives of others. The size of the gift is
irrelevant. Some of my most rewarding work has been with individuals of
modest means who were committed to giving back.
Tell us your philosophy of work: Life might be nasty, brutish and
short, but work doesn’t have to be. Follow your passion. After
graduating from law school, I practiced law for a large firm in San
Francisco then worked as a producer for a video production company. Both
jobs were stressful, time consuming and not much fun. I also couldn’t
relate to the George Bailey character in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” So I
decided to follow the nonprofit path to achieve enlightenment and inner
peace.
Share with us your best planned gift story: I entered the planned
giving field because Jeff Shields met my mother at a bar in Minnesota.
Seriously. About twelve years ago they were attending a Council on
Foundations Conference in Minneapolis. Both wound up at the hotel bar
and started talking. Next thing you know Jeff and I got together in San
Francisco and he sold me on the Independent Sector.
What are your special interests? Grooming my toddlers to be
either world leaders, Olympians or both; drinking Belgian Beer; and
watching Entourage on HBO.
Do you have a favorite restaurant? Firefly on 24th and Diamond in
Noe Valley (my hood).
Your best resource people: Jeff Shields, Offit Hall Capital
Management (life in general), Peter Dunn, California Community
Foundation (community foundation issues), Jill Dodd, Steefel, Levitt &
Weiss (legal issues), Sara DuBois, East Bay Community Foundation (doing
everything that needs doing at EBCF).
Advice to new planned giving professional: That’s easy – join the
NCPGC!
New Members
Vanessa Adams, University of California
James D. Atwood, Philanthropic Associates
J. Jeff Badger, American Bach Soloists
Audries Blake, Ventana Wildlife Society
Celia Bolam, Community Foundation Sonoma County
Sally J. Bolger, Bolger Management Services
Joseph Bracco, Justin-Siena High School Foundation
Philip Byrdsong
Dick Bunce, Ploughshares Fund
David Bundesen, National Rifle Association
Meredith Bushnell, Barulich Schoknecht Dugoni Law Group
Joanne Butcher, YMCA Shih Yu-Lang Central
Katherine Cook, Elder Care Alliance
Jan Cummins
Jeffrey Cusack, Rex & Company
Tim Daniels, Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center
Joseph DeFrisco, Arden Wood, Inc.
Claudia M. Denton, Merrill Lynch
Monalisa DiAngelo, Peninsula Volunteers, Inc.
Lanell Dike, Global Fund for Women
Julie Dorf, Horizons Foundation
Sara DuBois, East Bay Community Foundation
Rajat Dutta, Horizons Foundation
H. Larry Eiring, ARMA International Educational Foundation
Dennis Eloe, Alameda Hospital Foundation
Scott Emblen, Hewins Financial
Donna Ferraro, Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County
Katherine Floriano, Institute of Hearthmath
Tara Fowler, Morgan Stanley
Cynthia Funai, Bishop O’Dowd High School
Carlos A. Garcia, The Nature Conservancy
Jacob M. Glickman, Greene, Radovsky, Maloney, Share & Hennigh, LLP
William Gray
Allison K. Groves, San Francisco Ballet
Laura Hamilton-Ewing, Stanford Jazz Workshop
John H. Harrington, Vanguard Management Services
Nancy Hoeffer, Community Energy Services Corp.
John Hoffman, Pacific Chamber Symphony
April Hopkins, Mills College
Robert Hunter, Hunter/McAuliffe Wealth Management
Brian K. Hyde, Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod Foundation
Rebekah L. Jackson
Robin Keating, JVS
Carol J. Kersten, Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center
Ralph G. Latza, CFP, JD
Pamela Leazer, American Red Cross, Sonoma County Chapter
Doria Leong, Asian Art Museum
Kevin M. Leong, University of San Francisco
Joe Levin, Bernstein Global Wealth Management
Polly Levin
Jill Royce Loomis
Louise Lucchesi, University of San Francisco
Emerson L. McFarland, Saint Mary’s College of California
Nancy Mahler, State Street Global Advisors
Amanto Marcotulli, University of California, Berkeley
Laura McCrea, Laura McCrea & Associates
Theresa Nelson, Theresa Nelson & Associates
Maryann Osmond, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, California Province
Samuel Palmer, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Stephen W. Player, Stanford University
Susan Quinn, University of California
Ginni Ring, YMCA of the East Bay
Adelaide C. Roberts, Peninsula Open Space Trust
Virginia Saifer, ACWIS
Cynthia L. Schreurs, Law Office of Cynthia L. Schreurs
Stacy Schmidt, Big Sur Land Trust
Kimberly Scrafano, Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay
Jessica Smith, CFP, Catalyst Financial Planning and Investment
Management
Robert Sonnenberg, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Patricia L. Stirling, Cardaronella Stirling Associates
Aileen Sweeney, Marin Community Foundation
Lisa Tabak, Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay
Pamela J. Ulmer
Jeffrey D. Underwood, University of California, Berkeley
Kristopher Van Giesen, Hanna Boys Center
Arianna Van Meurs, The Branson School
John K. Van Noord, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley
Paula Vlamings, Hopalong Animal Rescue
Lori Whitney
Marie T. Wiseman, Comerica Bank
New Member Profile - Bob Sonnenberg
Bob Sonnenberg has been in the planned giving field two months and one
of the first things he did was joining NCPGC.
"When I got into this field, I was advised to get active in the Planned
Giving Council as soon as I could. I have attended two meeting and am
very impressed with the information I have picked up from the Primer
Program and the Luncheon Speakers. It's also great to talk to other
planned giving professionals about their work", says Bob.
Before starting his new position as assistant planned giving director at
Guide Dogs For the Blind, Bob ran his own insurance and investment firm
in San Rafael.
He is a fourth generation Californian and lives in San Rafael with his
wife Cindy and two college age boys. Both boys are very active in
football and baseball.
About three years ago, he started losing his sight and last March was
persuaded to enroll for training at Guide Dog's facility in San Rafael.
He graduated with a beautiful black lab "Nino" and the two go everywhere
together. He later saw the planned giving opening at GDB and thought he
would apply. "I think the black lab definitely helped," says Bob
How does he like his new profession? "I love it. It seems like the same
skill set as used in the financial world. Relationship building is
critical, but its also great having a mission to sell" says Bob.
Welcome Bob!
Here's a marketing tip from our
friends at Planned Giving Today, a monthly marketing publication for
gift planning professionals
Submitted by Bill Sheehan, Director of Planned Giving, Santa
Clara University
Bill Sheehan, NCPGC Board member and Director of Planned giving at
Santa Clara University, attests to the success of this approach in
the form of letters to donor and their professional advisors, using
the material in the form of a buckslip/insert in any monthly
materials mailed out to donors and as "must have info" on your
organization's planned giving or regular website.
Colleagues, what follows is a reprintable marketing piece from our
friends at Planned Giving Today, the Practical Newsletter for
Gift-Planning Professionals. Feel free to edit it and use it as an
envelope stuffer or a print piece in your periodic newsletter
Your Will/Estate Plan and Right Wording
Every once in a while, we receive a phone call from an attorney
wanting to know the full legal name of our charity. He or she is
working on a will or living trust that is to include a bequest for
us, and the attorney wants to do it right.
We are always glad to receive these calls because we have learned
through sad experience about the problems that arise when a charity
is inaccurately identified. For example, a person might think it is
enough to say, “I designate $25,000 to ABC” and expect that to do
the job.
There are many organizations and businesses that have “ABC” as part
of their name. A probate judge would be unable to make the bequest
because of a lack of clarity regarding the recipient. Or maybe the
bequest would go to another organization with a similar name.
In order to eliminate any confusion, we have prepared a brief,
one-sheet document containing some bequest language. It not only
includes the correct legal name of our charity, it also provides the
sample language for various kinds of bequests.
If you want to set up an endowment fund through your will or living
trust, the bequest language document gives you the correct wording.
If you want to designate a set amount of cash to our charity or
stipulate a specific percentage, the document provides sample
wording.
Your attorney will appreciate having the bequest language document
when he or she drafts your will or living trust. While the wording
may need to be altered slightly depending on where you reside, the
attorney will be glad to know what is acceptable to our charity.
Would you like to have a copy of this bequest language document?
Simply use the response form provided below/attached to make your
request. You can also contact our Office of Planned Giving toll-free
at (number).
When is a Restricted Gift too
Restricted?
Submitted by: Stuart Kaufman, Director of Planned Giving, EMQ
Children & Family Services
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine:
Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5
Seemingly clear gift acceptance policies (GAP) can get awfully
squishy when you’ve suddenly got to apply them to an offered gift.
Take a statement found in the GAP of many organizations that says
something like this: “We won’t accept gifts that are too
restrictive. Gifts that are too restrictive are those that are
(among other potential defects) too difficult to administer.” Simple
enough. You only have to figure out what “too” means, and there’s
your answer. Consider then, this example:
A few years ago, EMQ Children & Family Services, an agency serving
abused, emotionally disturbed, and other at-risk children and their
families, was offered a restricted gift in the form of a future
bequest sufficient to provide one or more full tuition scholarships,
annually. The restriction was that eligibility was to be limited to
orphans wishing to pursue college degrees in nursing or pharmacy.
The elderly prospective donor had been a nurse; her late husband, a
pharmacist. Her primary intent was to benefit these professions.
Giving aid to orphans was only a mechanism for doing that.
The gift was rife with problems. Happily, there are many fewer
orphans these days than there had been when the donor was young.
Unhappily, there are still far too many foster children, but EMQ
almost lost the gift in persuading the donor, who was fixated on
orphans, to extend her generosity to foster children. Widening the
circle of eligibility wasn’t the end of the difficulties presented
by this gift; yet, had we tried to persuade the donor to loosen the
restrictions beyond that one concession, we’d certainly have lost
it.
The bitterly sad truth is that most foster kids, dumped from the
system and onto the street at age 18, do not go to college. For
many, all the support and encouragement that EMQ can provide,
including transitional help as they age out of the system, is barely
enough to keep them stably employed, and not homeless or in prison.
Remarkably and gratifyingly, though, some foster kids do beat the
odds and go to college. But there was still one more problem.
Pharmacy is a small field, taught by few universities and, now,
mainly at the post-graduate level. Nursing, though more popular and
open to undergraduates, is still only one of many fields in which
one might be interested. And though some nursing-related programs
can be completed in junior college, which is as far as many
college-bound foster kids get, the donor’s estate has taken the
position that the study of nursing means a B.A. program.
The donor died in 2005, leaving a bequest of $1.5 million. EMQ is
determined to make this gift work, for some kids, somewhere, if at
all possible, and to that end is taking steps to let foster agencies
throughout California know of these scholarships and nominate
candidates for them. If several years of statewide outreach still
don’t turn up eligible candidates, we might then apply to the
Probate Court to remove the restriction as to fields of study, on
the ground of impracticability.
Should EMQ have refused this gift? It’s certainly going to require a
great deal of work to administer, with no assurance of a successful
outcome. To many, that makes it “too difficult to administer,” and
it should have been rejected. Sometimes, though, the potential for
good that an offered gift represents is so great that large
obstacles to success must be disregarded, as long as they don’t
entail serious financial risk.
To us at EMQ, this was one of those times. More will be known,
later.
From National Planned Giving
Council
International Symposium on Cross-Border Charitable Giving
June 25 - 26, 2007
Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia (metro Washington
DC).
Hosted by the International Gift Planning Alliance, whose members
include the National Committee on Planned Giving, the Canadian
Association of Gift Planners*Association canadienne des
professionnels en dons planifies, and the European Association for
Planned Giving, the program for the Symposium will emphasize planned
gift techniques, providing information for development
professionals, donor advisors, foundations, and others who are
involved in the process of marketing, cultivating, structuring,
administering, and/or stewarding cross-border charitable gifts.
Topics to be covered include:
Cross-border giving for international charities
Foundation giving internationally
Gifting laws and strategies for foreign donors who make US gifts
Gifting laws and strategies for US donors making foreign gifts
Gifting strategies using foreign assets
International marketing strategies
The global perspective on charitable issues internationally
For more information, please visit
www.ncpg.org.
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