CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The Conference begins with a concurrent Primer and Advanced Case Study on Tuesday afternoon, followed by multiple tracks on Wednesday and Thursday, each with three breakout sessions. There are three Keynote sessions. Click on the individual days below to jump to that section.

Tuesday, May 21: Primer and Advanced Case Study

Wednesday, May 22: Opening + Lunch Keynote, Breakouts

Thursday, May 23: Breakouts and Brunch Keynote

TUESDAY, May 21, 2024

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Planned Giving Primer: A Window into the World of Gift Planning   

Presented by: Cari Jackson Lewis, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer; California Philanthropic Consulting; Nancy Baxter, Consultant, Philanthropy + Finance  

An introduction to Gift Planning for those new to the field and a refresher for more seasoned philanthropic professionals. The session will include case studies offering the opportunity to network, share, and learn from our colleagues.

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Empowering Non-Profits and Foundations to Accept Partnership Interests in Real Estate and Fee Simple Real Estate 

Presented by: Todd Wohl, Partner, Braun International

Learn how to accept Partnership Interests in Real Estate, Fee Simple Real Estate, and other non-cash gifts.  The most commonly held real estate investment is in a Partnership. The most illiquid asset held by an individual is a real estate partnership interest which is why an individual will gift the Interest.  Learn how to value and monetize partnership interests in real estate and fee simple real estate.

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Welcome Reception

Reception sponsored by The Stelter Company. 

WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2024

7:30 am - 8:30 am: Registration & Breakfast

8:30 am - 9:00 am: Opening Remarks

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Opening Keynote: The Spheres of Influence and Impact in Philanthropy

Presented by: Dien Yuen, CEO, Daylight Advisors

$84.4 trillion will be transferred between 2021 and 2045. 86% is expected to go to heirs, while the remainder will go to charity. Who are the influencers of these wealth transfer plans? What are their roles? How do we integrate the philanthropic conversation within the spheres of influencers? Join us as we share ideas to generate greater social and personal impact for our clients and community.

10:00 am - 10:15 am: Break with Exhibitors

BREAKOUTS

10:15 am - 11:30 am: Demystifying Reasons for Accepting Charitable Gifts of Real Estate 

Presented by: Chase Magnussen; Vincent Fraumeni, Director of Planned Giving, Cal Poly Pomona

Real estate donation options and opportunities. Real-life case studies.

10:15 am - 11:30 am: 

Surviving and Thriving the “Silver Tsunami”

Presented by: Renee Durnin, CFRE, Senior Strategist, The Stelter Company

The “Aging of America” demographic phenomenon, coupled with the life-changing pandemic we’ve experienced the last few years, is creating legacy giving opportunities like we’ve never seen before. Learn how dynamic broad-based marketing can let you reach a broader audience that will help you not only survive this “wave,” but thrive in it! You'll take away key marketing approaches and techniques that effectively move donors along in their legacy giving journey. Renee Durnin, CFRE will highlight real success stories nonprofits have had in applying these strategies, including how World Wildlife Fund tripled their results in legacy giving marketing over the last three years!

10:15 am - 11:30 am: 

"Ins and Outs" of Charitable Remainder Trusts from a Legal Perspective

Presented by: Karl Mill, Founding Attorney, Mill Law Center

Karl will help charities better understand the charitable remainder trust and all its incarnations.  When are they worth the effort?  When should you just do a CGA instead and save yourself some hassle?

To help development teams, Karl will explain the CRT from a donor perspective -- focusing on the four key benefits that donors receive from CRTs, and how to make sure the donors realize those benefits while still making sure the charity gets the long-term support that a robust CRT program can provide.

Karl will also speak to what makes a successful and easy-to-administer CRT program.  What templates to have and when to use them?  When can you handle yourself and when to call in help?  To trustee or not to trustee?

Karl will also spend time going through some case studies and warning about some of the challenging rules that apply to CRTs and how to avoid them (or at least know how to flag potential problems so your donors do not regret the gift.

11:30 am - 11:45 am: Break with Exhibitors

11:45 am -  1:45 pm: Awards Luncheon and Keynote: Tales From The Crypt – The Weird and Wild

Presented by: Andrew Fussner, Vice President, Estate Settlement, American Heart Association

Enjoy a chuckle over the oddest bequests found in Last Will and Testaments that the head of the American Heart Association's Estate Settlement Department has seen over his 20+ year career in handling charitable testamentary gifts. The AHA's very own "Angel of Death" will also share some of the most unusual items ever left to the AHA. Mr. Fussner will end the presentation with five of the craziest-but-true stories from the land of charitable bequests that he has personally been involved in. Warning: Educational content will be at a minimum - but weirdness and wildness will be at a maximum.

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm: Break with Exhibitors

BREAKOUTS

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Donor Calls from the ICU - What Next? A Case Study from Beverly Hills

Presented by: Kimberly Jetton, President, Pleiades Nonprofit Advisors

What are a gift officer's responsibilities when it comes to a donor in their 90s who is in ill health? Certainly, there are legal aspects, but what of moral and ethical considerations? In this case study we will examine a real case of a 93-year-old donor with a mansion in Bel Air and a difficult request. This interactive session discusses the correct protocols and pitfalls with this gift.

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Analyzing Proposed Contributions of Illiquid Assets

Presented by: Jeff Davine, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Planned giving professionals sometimes receive offers of illiquid/nonmarketable assets from donors. These assets include real property and interests in closely held corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships.

Before accepting these types of gifts, gift planning professionals need to analyze the tax and non-tax consequences to the charity and to the donor and have a list of procedures to complete to ensure that the gift will be one that will benefit the charity and will not result in any unexpected "surprises" to the charity or to the donor.

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm: Telling Your Financial Story

Presented by: Kate Azar, Director of Non-Profit Strategy, PNC Institutional Asset Management

You share your mission, vision, and impact with a variety of audiences every day. But with a high volume of information to share and stakeholders whose interests vary, what are some best practices to communicate with your stakeholders?  Communicating your current financial state and aspirations is a critical part of generating the resources you need to continue delivering on your mission. 

Join us to learn about key components of effective financial storytelling to equip your stakeholders to champion your organization. We'll review tools and strategies for data-informed communication, along with examples of nonprofits that have changed their financial storytelling approach. Following this session, you'll be able to articulate the main components of your financial story, identify the data you'll need to gather to tell your financial story, and design a financial storytelling action plan. 

3:15 pm - 3:45 pm: Break with Exhibitors

BREAKOUTS

3:45 pm - 5:00 pm: Navigating Philanthropy: Insights from a $12M Estate Gift

Presented by: Anne King, Executive Director, Ventura College Foundation; Gerardo Pantoja, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving, Ventura College Foundation 

Gain invaluable insights as Anne and Gerardo delve into the profound lessons extracted from the administration of a $12M complex estate gift, which not only significantly benefited the Ventura College Foundation but also made a positive impact on numerous local charities. Discover the strategic decisions, challenges overcome, and the transformative outcomes that emerged from this philanthropic journey.

3:45 pm - 5:00 pm: Maximizing Impact: Actionable Marketing Strategies for the Gift Planner

Presented by: Ryan LaCanfora, Integrated Marketing Specialist, Crescendo Interactive

Discover strategic insights from Crescendo's latest planned giving program study, exploring how successful nonprofits achieved remarkable results through proven marketing techniques. Gain practical expertise in crafting persuasive calls to action using eNewsletters, surveys, and donor engagement tools. Understand the significance of segmentation and personalized messaging to effectively address challenges with potential donors. Acquire valuable insights into donor behavior to tailor your outreach for maximum impact. Join Ryan LaCanfora, West Coast Representative and AVP for Crescendo Interactive, for this transformative session. Revitalize your planned giving program to drive greater donor engagement and foster lasting philanthropic support.

3:45 pm - 5:00 pm: Seven Tips to Safely Sail the Seas of Bequest Administration

Presented by: Lindy Nash, Supervising Attorney, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick

This presentation will offer tools on how to navigate the uncertainties that lurk beneath the surface of the, at times murky, bequest administration seas. Active bequest management is the only way to guarantee that your organization is getting the gift it is entitled to and that the donor's wishes are being honored. We will cover what documents beneficiaries can request, how to spot red flags, what to look for in tricky receipts and releases, beneficiary designation and Inherited IRA tips, and more. By following these best practice principles, the planned giving professional will be able to both ensure that the complete bequest arrives quickly at the organization and honor the donor's intent in the process. Attendees will walk away with the knowledge and confidence needed to steer their ship through any bequest administration storm.

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Reception

Reception sponsored by Rodriguez, Horii, Choi & Cafferata LLP 

THURSDAY, May 23, 2024

7:30 am - 8:00 am: Registration and Light Breakfast (Brunch at 11 am!) 

BREAKOUTS

8:00 am - 9:15 am: When, Why and How To Say "No, Thank You"

Presented by: Marina Katsnelson, Senior Executive Director Estate Administration, City of Hope; Adrienne Gibson, Senior Director, Planned Giving, City of Hope

Gifts and deferred bequests are a huge part of an organization's planned giving program. We all understand that cash is best; however, over the years donors have also become interested in giving non-cash gifts. To accommodate a wide array of charitable gifts, organizations have
expanded their gift acceptance policies to include gifts that range from publicly traded securities to cryptocurrency. With this in mind, we are going to take an interactive look at how you can avoid gifts that don't support your mission, how to determine if you should accept a gift, and if not, how do
you say "No, thank you."

8:00 am - 9:15 am: Everybody Wins: Building Partnerships Between Planned Giving and Major Gift Officers

Presented by: Ilana Ormond, Senior Director, Planned Giving, UC Santa Barbara; Jim Ehlers, Executive Director, Office of Gift Planning, California Institute of Technology

Planned Giving and Major Gift Officers often work in silos. However, thoughtful collaboration between the two can result in more significant gifts and greater donor satisfaction. This session will discuss how to tackle the obstacles that often prevent fundraisers from partnering and how to help
educate each other regarding their respective roles. Examples of successful collaboration will be shared.

8:00 am - 9:15 am: Seas of Generosity: Navigating Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) for Impactful Giving

Presented by: Cris Lutz, Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Philip Barker, Executive Director Estates and Gift Planning, Providence; Michael Davis, Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, US Bank

Join us in "Unlocking the Power of Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs)." This session aims to demystify CGAs, offering insights, strategies, and best practices through the lens of real-life case studies and lessons learned. With ACGA rates at their highest in more than a decade, and with the SECURE 2.0 Act enabling donors to establish CGAs with IRA assets, now is the opportune moment to ride the wave of gift annuities.

9:15 am - 9:30 am Break with Exhibitors

BREAKOUTS

9:30 am - 10:45 am: An Interactive Exploration of Gift Acceptance Policies

Presented by: Patience Boudreaux, Director of Planned Giving, Rideout/Adventist Health; Jay Harvill, Director of Gift Planning, USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation

We've all heard about how important gift acceptance policies are but if your organization doesn't already have them or they're very outdated, how do
you get started? In this session, we will look at the actual policies of some of the organizations in our region and compare and contrast how they
tackle different types of gifts so that attendees can leave this session with a sense of what path may be good for their organization to move forward with
for their policies. Attendees will discuss the various merits of how different policies approach topics and we will explore how we as a group
think things could be improved. We'll also discuss who at your organization should be involved in the discussion about how to update your policies.

9:30 am - 10:45 am: Donor Advised Fund Proposed Regulations: Are Course Corrections Required?

Presented by: Reynolds Cafferata, Partner, Rodriguez, Horii, Choi & Cafferata LLP

The session will review the Proposed Regulations for donor-advised funds.  Particularly problematic rules will be discussed as well as comments that have been submitted to the IRS.  The broad definitions in the Proposed Regulations may cause many charitable funds that are not typically thought of as donor-advised funds to be subject to the limits applicable to donor-advised funds.   Information for donor-advised fund sponsors and charities that seek gifts from donor-advised funds will be provided.

9:30 am - 10:45 am: Is Your Gift Up for Grabs? Avoiding the Risk of Forfeiture Following the Breslin Case

Presented by: Susanna Kim, Senior Associate, Withers Bergman LLP; Ariana Perfecto, Withers Bergman LLP

The California Court of Appeal's decision in Breslin v. Breslin provides that a party to a trust proceeding who receives notice of a court-ordered mediation may be bound by the result. This may not seem troubling at first, but in the years since this decision, charities are increasingly getting "Breslined" when other parties and heirs seek to "grab" the charity's gift or interest in a trust if the charity does not participate in the mediation. This session will review the Breslin case with a focus on the key takeaways and strategies for charities who wish to protect their interests in trusts and eliminate the risk of gift forfeiture. If your charity receives gifts from trusts, this session is a must for you!

10:45 am - 11:00 am: Break

11:00 am - 1:00 pm: Brunch Keynote: Advancing the Civic Agenda for Los Angeles County

Presented by: Miguel Santana, President & Chief Executive Officer, California Community Foundation

The United States has yet to deliver on its promise of a robust, just, vibrant democracy that equitably functions amid profound differences. California can lead the way, and philanthropic institutions can actively contribute to building, nurturing, and advancing LA County's robust multiracial democracy. Imagining a new future requires healing the wounds of the past and our success depends on our ability to connect the individuals closest to the challenges we face with the resources required to create change.

We invite you to join California Community Foundation CEO Miguel Santana, as he discusses CCF's vision for a multi-racial democracy, and the grantmaking, advocacy, and convening tools the Foundation leverages to advance the civic agenda for Los Angeles County. He will speak to current projects underway, addressing the homelessness crisis, governance reform, and Covid recovery. We hope you can join us.

1:00 pm - 1:10 pm: Closing Remarks