Session Descriptions
The 2026 CPGC Conference has been approved for 7.25 hours of NC CLE and 10.25 hours of CFRE continuing education. Approval is pending for SC CLE.
MONDAY, MAY 11
Conference Check-In | 12:00pm - 6:00pm | Lower Lobby
Pre-Conference Session #1: The Why Before The What: Foundations of Planned Giving and Setting the Stage
Kinna Clark, UNC System
1:00pm-2:15pm
Planned giving can feel complex, both for donors and for the professionals who support them. This opening session is designed to ground participants in the WHY behind planned giving before diving into specific tools and techniques. Rather than focusing on formulas or product mechanics, this session will explore the core principles that drive planned gifts: donor motivation, values, timing, and legacy. Participants will gain clarity around common planned giving terminology and help attendees develop a more confident, donor-centered mindset, while equipping them to listen for cues, ask better questions, and recognize opportunities without feeling the need to “sell” a specific gift vehicle. By establishing a shared vocabulary and conceptual framework, this session sets the stage for deeper exploration of planned giving tools and strategies in subsequent pre-conference sessions and helps participants engage those conversations with greater confidence and clarity.
Pre-Conference Session #2: Using Gift Planning Vehicles to Meet Family Needs
Kent Weimer
2:45pm-4:00pm
This session will explore the various charitable gift planning vehicles we have at our disposal. It will be examined in the context of meeting family needs, understanding different money personalities and overcoming donor objections.
With a deeper understanding of the core principles that drive charitable gift plans, participants will gain clarity around using the gift planning vehicles in a truly donor centered manner. We will also explore why non-cash gifts can be a donor’s best friend.
Welcome Reception 5:00pm-6:00pm | Riverview Terrace
Dinner and the Donating Game
6:00pm-8:00pm
TUESDAY, MAY 12
Registration | 7:00am-5:00pm
Breakfast | 7:30am-9:00am
Troublesome Gifts, Ethics and the IRS Oh My!
Kent Weimer, Gift Planning Consultant
9:00am-10:15am
Sometimes gifts come with complications both legal and ethical. This session explores real life gift planning case studies in an interactive manner that includes an open dialogue on planning strategies while exploring the dilemmas and opportunities presented, possible solutions, along with the impacts on policies, procedures and philosophy. The focus will be on outcomes that benefit the donor, family and the charitable organization. The case studies will demonstrate how treasury regulations, when not followed, may lead to the donor losing their charitable deduction.
Break and Sponsor Time | 10:15am-10:45am
Breakout Sessions | 10:45am-11:45am
AI Powered Planned Giving: Transformation and Adoption Working Session
Brantley Boyett, Giving Docs
10:45am-11:45am
This session shows how AI is reshaping planned giving and how teams can adopt it thoughtfully to increase impact without losing the human touch. We’ll begin by mapping where AI helps (repetitive, pattern-based tasks) and where it doesn’t (values, mission-setting, and ethical donor decisions), and by demystifying predictive, generative, workflow, and agentic AI so fundraisers know which tools to apply to which problems.
Practical use cases include donor identification and predictive prospecting, personalized multi-channel communication at scale, gift-vehicle optimization and donor-journey automation, and real-time dashboards that reduce time in spreadsheets and increase time with donors. The session includes a short demo on crafting a donor persona and market examples of tools fundraisers are using today.
Ethics and implementation are front and center: we’ll address privacy and data security, bias and explainability, risks to the human relationship, and governance and workflow safeguards so organizations can move quickly—and responsibly. Participants will leave with a pragmatic checklist for practical guidance, real examples, and tools to help planned giving programs scale with confidence.
The Secret Weapon You Didn't Know You Needed: Compelling Video Stories for Donor Engagement and Retention
Debbie Brodsky, DMB Pictures
10:45am-11:45am
Are you struggling to connect with long-time donors—or reach the next generation of supporters? Video storytelling can transform your fundraising by creating empathy, connection, and action. In this session, you’ll learn how one nonprofit replaced costly galas with intimate, video-driven events that raised more money, strengthened relationships, and built a thriving associate board. You’ll discover the essentials of a powerful story, how to identify your strongest on-camera voices, and when to DIY versus hire a professional. You'll leave with practical tools to immediately implement video in your donor engagement strategy, regardless of budget.
Building a Planned Giving Program within a Small to Mid-Sized Nonprofit*
Jay Duggan, Launch Legacy Consulting
10:45am-11:45am
Many smaller nonprofits want to have a dynamic planned giving program but simply do not have the budget to hire a full-time Planned Giving Officer. Smaller nonprofit’s lack of understanding about planned gifts turns into reluctance to have legacy discussions with their donors, which results in a stagnant to nonexistent program. Our session will focus on best practices in board buy-in, donor cultivation, planned giving conversations and how to market and promote legacy giving on a budget with dynamic results.
*This session will be repeated after lunch.
How Donor Shifts are Rewriting the Rules of Fundraising
Debra Faulk, Cause & Effect
Kinna Clark, UNC System
Dana Taylor, Coastal Community Foundation
Henri Cancio-Fitzgerald, PNC
10:45am-11:45am
Donor-driven capital strategies are challenging traditional planned giving norms and reshaping who sits at the philanthropic table. As complex funding structures become more common, collaboration among gift planners, philanthropic advisors, trust and estate attorneys, CPAs, and other trusted professionals is no longer optional. This panel explores how shifting donor behavior is redefining roles, responsibilities, and risk, equipping participants to navigate emerging opportunities with clarity, confidence, and sound judgment.
Lunch Buffet | 11:45am-1:00pm
Breakout Sessions | 1:15pm-2:15pm
Leadership Transitions as a Strategic Opportunity: Turning Change into Legacy and Philanthropy
Ginny Waller, Waller Consulting
Mary Dell Hayes, Waller Consulting
1:15pm-2:15pm
Leadership transitions—especially those involving founders or long-tenured executives—can be among the most emotionally charged and financially vulnerable moments in a nonprofit’s life cycle. Yet with intentional planning and engagement, these transitions can also become catalysts for renewed vision, strengthened donor confidence, and transformational planned gifts.
Drawing on Waller Consulting’s UpShift framework for leadership transitions, this session explores how boards, fundraisers, and executive leaders can approach succession planning through both an operational and philanthropic lens. Attendees will learn how to balance honoring a leader’s legacy with advancing the organization’s mission, ensuring that change not only preserves but amplifies donor trust and long-term giving potential.
Trust, Transparency, and Technology: Navigating the Planned Giving Journey with Boomers
Nathan Stelter, Stelter
1:15pm-2:15pm
In today’s complex donor landscape, understanding the philanthropic psychology of Baby Boomers is essential for building trust and securing planned gifts. While leading and lagging Boomers have distinct preferences, they share a strong desire for transparency and meaningful impact. This session explores how nonprofits can cut through marketing noise, align messaging with donor values, and effectively guide prospects along the planned giving journey. It will also highlight how technology can enhance personalization, strengthen trust, and support long-term donor relationships.
RIFT Project
Angelia Harris, Edward Jones
Joe Langenderfer, Partnership with Native Americans
1:15pm-2:15pm
RIFT stands for Release IRA Funds Timely. In this session, we will explore the issues surrounding the release of IRA funds to charitable beneficiaries. If your organization has ever been the beneficiary of a donor’s IRA, you have likely experienced the challenges of obtaining these funds and honoring the donor’s intent.
Come and hear about what is happening at the state and national levels, learn about available resources, and discover how you can get involved!
Break and Sponsor Time | 2:15pm-2:30pm
Breakout Sessions | 2:45pm-3:45pm
Transforming Compliance into Confidence: Position Your Form 990 to Tell a More Persuasive Story
Debra Faulk, Cause & Effect
2:30pm-3:45pm
Your Form 990 is being read by donors, advisors, and anyone evaluating whether your organization is positioned to steward a major or legacy gift. Is your organization’s Form 990 working for, or against, you? In this session, learn how to transform a compliance filing into a trust-building powerhouse that signals stability, impact, and credibility to the decision-makers influencing your organization’s long-term philanthropic support.
When to Grow and When to Go
Erin Hall
2:30pm-3:45pm
When to Grow and When to Go is an honest, practical conversation for development and advancement staff navigating career growth in mission-driven work. Together, we’ll explore how to advocate for yourself where you are — asking for professional development, stretching into new projects, and having meaningful conversations with your supervisor about your goals — while also recognizing when it might be time for a new challenge. In this workshop, we’ll work to clarify what you want to accomplish next and leave with tools to grow with intention, whether that’s right where you are or somewhere new.
Building a Planned Giving Program within a Small to Mid-Sized Nonprofit*
Jay Duggan, Launch Legacy Consulting
2:30pm-3:45pm
Many smaller nonprofits want to have a dynamic planned giving program but simply do not have the budget to hire a full-time Planned Giving Officer. Smaller nonprofit’s lack of understanding about planned gifts turns into reluctance to have legacy discussions with their donors, which results in a stagnant to nonexistent program. Our session will focus on best practices in board buy-in, donor cultivation, planned giving conversations and how to market and promote legacy giving on a budget with dynamic results.
*This session is a repeat of the earlier session with the same name.
Considering Purpose – A Modern Lens for Gifting Strategies
Lazaro Tiant, PNC
2:30pm-3:45pm
Today’s investors—across generations, wealth levels, and mission profiles—are increasingly asking a deeper question:
“How can capital reflect what I value and the change I want to see?”
Purpose‑Driven Investing provides a structured way for advisors to respond to this growing demand by aligning portfolio design with each client’s unique mission, priorities, and desired impact.
In this session, we explore the next generation of advisory services extending across multiple dimensions, including governance, catalytic capital, venture philanthropy, and traditional philanthropy, representing an expanded advisory toolkit that helps institutions and families deploy their capital with purpose across decision‑making, community investment, impact‑focused financing, and charitable giving.
Break and Sponsor Time | 3:45pm-4:00pm
Top 10 Bequest Admin Roadblocks and How to Get Around Them
Christian McTarnaghan, Chisholm, Chisholm, & Kilpatrick LLC
4:00pm-5:00pm
When a bequest has matured, sometimes, collecting the gift is as easy as 1,2,3. But more often than not, a problem comes up that prevents your organization from receiving the bequest or getting any information at all. This presentation will explore ten of the most common bequest administration problems and provide suggestions on how to handle them. We will cover slow moving estate administrations, the unresponsive fiduciary, unwanted non-cash assets, beneficiary designations, excessive attorney fees, vague gift instruments and more!
Dinner on Your Own | 5:00pm-8:30pm
Bill's Porch | 8:30pm-11:00pm
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
Breakfast | 7:30am-9:00am
Breakout Sessions - 9:00am-10:00am
Always Look at Gift Horse in the Mouth
Kent Weimer
Becca Watkins, National Park Foundation
9:00am-10:00am
Not all gifts are beneficial, and organizations must fully understand what they are accepting—especially when gifts come with restrictions or additional obligations such as property or works of art. This session explores key red flags to watch for with complex or non-traditional gifts, shares real-world examples, and offers guidance on navigating difficult donor conversations. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how to evaluate these gifts and practical strategies for communicating when a gift may not be the right fit.
Engaging Handraisers: The Blueprint for Turning Interest into Impact
Alison Hay, Giving Docs
9:00am-10:00am
In planned giving, a "handraiser" is a prospect who has signaled interest in supporting your mission -- whether through a simple inquiry, engagement with a gift officer, or submitting a survey. This session will explore how to effectively nurture these prospects, turning curiosity into meaningful commitment. Through real-world examples and data-driven insights, we’ll uncover practical strategies that deepen engagement, strengthen relationships, and help your organization unlock the full potential of your planned giving program.
Leveraging Storytelling and Strategy to Build Your Planned Giving Program
Jonathan Hernandez, North Carolina Textiles Foundation
Jaclyn Hage, North Carolina Textiles Foundation
Kam King, North Carolina Textiles Foundation
9:00am-10:00am
This engaging session will explore how purposeful storytelling, paired with thoughtful strategy and cross-departmental collaboration, can reshape how institutions cultivate and strengthen planned giving pipelines. Three speakers from NC State University's Wilson College of Textiles and the North Carolina Textile Foundation (NCTF), representing communications, annual giving and major gifts, will share how they built a yearlong engagement approach grounded in authentic donor voices, consistent touchpoints and meaningful stewardship moments. Participants will gain practical ideas to spark donor connection, coordinate outreach across teams and introduce estate conversations in a natural and mission-centered way. Real examples, including donor features, targeted campaigns and event-driven engagement, will offer attendees usable tools and inspiration to grow their planned giving efforts through the power of creative storytelling and partnership.
How to Effectively Manage Bequests and Honor Your Donor's Intent
Christian McTarnaghan, Chisholm, Chisholm, & Kilpatrick
9:00am-10:00am
In this session, attendees will learn the importance of active bequest management and the key steps necessary to maintain a successful bequest settlement strategy within your organization. We will cover seven crucial steps that will help attendees navigate the complex world of matured bequests, ensuring that donor intent is honored while safeguarding your organizations interests. During the presentation we will cover: what documents you are entitled to, reviewing worrisome receipts and releases, identifying red flags that put your bequest in jeopardy, how to handle potential litigation, and more. By the end of this session, attendees will have the tools, insights, and confidence to manage bequests with professionalism and integrity, ensuring both compliance and alignment with the wishes of their donors.
Break and Checkout | 10:00am-10:30am
Predictive & Generative AI in Fundraising: Transforming How We Identify, Cultivate, and Inspire Legacy Gifts
Linda Carter, Meredith College
10:30am-11:30am
This presentation explores how predictive and generative AI can elevate fundraising strategy, with a focus on strengthening planned giving and legacy gift development. It highlights the practical ways AI enhances prospect identification, donor cultivation, and personalized communication while emphasizing the essential role of human judgment and ethics. Designed for advancement professionals, the session demonstrates how AI can be integrated thoughtfully to create more meaningful, efficient, and future-focused fundraising work.