One of the perks of serving as Chair of the Minnesota Planned Giving Council (MPGC) is to work with some of the best and brightest in our profession. I thought I might share just some of the exciting projects we’re working on over the coming months.
MPGC board members Brad Reiners and Glenn Thiel are collaborating with the great Craig Wruck to produce three offerings of A Brisk Walk Through the Basics. Two will be in the Twin Cities and a third hosted by the Southwest Community Foundation.
MPGC Chair-Elect Tricia Bunten and I have visited with Jon Pratt, CEO of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, and Jean Gorrell, President of AFP Minnesota, to seek ways our organizations can collaborate to advance MPGC’s knowledge and offerings to organizations of all sizes across Minnesota. Perhaps the most promising of the many ideas to surface is to dramatically expand our "Leave A Legacy" communications and provide wills and estate marketing content to new audiences. Look for new content on our website by the end of this month.
MPGC board members Rick Kimbrough and Keevan Kosidowski and the Program and Education Committee have organized a series of terrific breakfast meetings and education seminars. Don’t miss our March 9th meeting when Dean Maus, Probate Referee & Court Manager, District Court presents an overview of the probate process, and Jim Gumpert, Director of Planned Giving, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, presents keys to planned giving success. Your can read more about this and other offerings on the Education and Events tab at www.mnpgc.org
In future letters, I’ll have more to say about some of the many other council members doing great work on behalf of MPGC and for you, our treasured members …. all this on top of their already demanding day jobs.
Finally, I’d like to ask your help. Our membership is, by far, our greatest asset. To grow and improve, we need to better know and understand our members. Would you please go to www.mnpgc.org , log on to the Members Only page, update your profile and include your picture? We will report back to you with insights gleaned from this data and thoughts on how MPGC might better serve you in the future.
If you value what MPGC brings to your professional life, tell a friend and bring them to a breakfast meeting and our autumn conference. If we have disappointed you or if you have questions, concerns or insights; please call me. I want to hear your thoughts so that we might improve our chapter.
Register Today for the Upcoming Education Programs!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Midland Hills Country Club
>> REGISTER HERE
Breakfast Meeting: $30/member; $45/non-member Education Seminar: $35/member; $50/non-member
*Attend both sessions at a reduced rate ($50/member; $70/non-member).
Breakfast Meeting: Probate in Minnesota
Speaker: Dean Maus, Probate Referee & Court Manager, District Court
This presentation will give a general overview of probating a decedent’s estate in Minnesota. It will answer questions such as: When is probate necessary? What does probating an estate involve? What are the duties of a personal representative? How much does probate cost? How long does probate take?
Education Seminar: Keys to Planned Giving Success
Speaker: Jim Gumpert, Director of Planned Giving, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Planned giving is frequently viewed as mysterious and highly technical. As a result, it often gets relegated to the back burner and only gets attention when a bequest is received. Based upon a practical approach for the small development office and the best practices for any size organization, this presentation will provide the keys to unlocking the secrets to planned giving success.
MPGC Kicks Off 2010 with January 12 Education Programs
By Mark Lofstrom
The Minnesota Planned Giving Council (MPGC) ushered in 2010 with two compelling programs at its Breakfast Meeting and Educational Seminar on January 12 at the Midland Hills Country Club. Associate Department Chair and Director of the Principal Gifts Program at Mayo Clinic James (Jim) M. Hodge led a discussion entitled Entrepreneurs as Engaged Philanthropists. Drawing on his experience working with $1,000,000+ donors, Jim discussed strategies for cultivating and securing “transformative” gifts from entrepreneurs.
Jim's talk, complete with a medically appropriate MRI illustration, explained why entrepreneurs often make generous donors whose annual giving (in households where 50% of money came from entrepreneurship) averaged nearly a quarter of a million dollars each – compared to charitable giving reaching an average of barely $75,000 in households where wealth comes from real estate and an average of barely $35,000 in households where fortune results from investment gains (Bank of America Center on Philanthropy Study 2006/2008).
According to Jim, with achievement rather then failure motivating entrepreneurs and a belief that their business success can “spill over” into other areas, such donors are interested in effecting significant change. They often feel their businesses provide a starting point for solving large-scale problems (examples given included Bill Gates and Steve Case). Helping philanthropreneurs envision changes often means engaging in experiential persuasion: letting them participate in emotional events so they interact with the charity on an intimate level. These donors also like to observe charities collaborating with others. With a plea to those present to “stop scheming and start dreaming,” Jim concluded a powerful presentation and answered several questions from the floor. Prsentation handouts from Jim Hodge's presentation are available online at www.mnpgc.org.
Next, Jen Foley, CPA and Sara A. Peterson, Managing Consultant of LarsonAllen LLP presented Development vs. Finance: Healthy Balance or Organizational Liability. The speakers acknowledged that while a certain amount of friction between development and finance offices can be beneficial too much can result in financial mishaps, erosion of donor or board trust, and even fraud.
Based on their years of experience auditing several non-profit organizations, the speakers noted that organizations often find themselves in trouble due to limited staff, little interaction between development and finance offices, high levels of trust, and only one person aware of many transactions. They advised that at least two people in every organization should know about every gift. Briefly reviewing the new accounting law that went into effect last summer, they also cautioned this year will be a difficult one from a finance perspective for most charities with 2011 likely to be even harder. A portion of the discussion also touched upon the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) and its affect on the administration of endowments.
The discussion concluded with the following observation: finance and development need to communicate with each other and realize they are on the same team working toward a common goal, even if the goals of acquiring gifts and spending money are viewed from different perspectives by these different offices.
From cultivating gifts that can enhance an organization’s stature and impact, to keeping track of how money is spent, January’s speakers presented MPGC with practical advice that can be helpful in facing challenges ahead. With snappy introductions, great remarks, compelling visuals, and insightful discussions, the January presentation started MPGC’s year off strong. And don’t forget – if you are a member who was unable to attend this educational session, the Members Only section of MPGC’s website maintains handouts of past events.
The Minnesota Planned Giving Council Communications Committee wishes to thank all of those members that contributed to the electronic newsletter, The Source, in 2009. We welcome article ideas and submissions for publication The Source for 2010.
To help our members keep up with each other, be sure to notify us if you or a member you know changes roles or moves to a new organization. We will publish those changes in upcoming newsletter editions.
The 2010 Communications Committee consists of the following members:
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Award Nominations
MPGC Member,
Please see the the awards nomination form and email below from our friends at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
Good afternoon,
I am a member of the Board of Directors for the local chapter of AFP. Each November our chapter celebrates National Philanthropy Day by recognizing Minnesota's outstanding philanthropists, volunteers and civic leaders at an awards luncheon. This year, I am leading the nomination process for our annual Philanthropy Day awards. You can learn more about the Philanthropy Day luncheon by visiting AFP Minnesota Chapter's website (afpminnesota.org/philanthropyday).
Nomination forms for the awards can be downloaded HERE. Any fundraising professional and community member is welcome to submit a nomination. Would you please consider sharing this information with members of the Minnesota Planned Giving council?Nomination deadline is May 4, 2010.
Many thanks!
Heidi A. Droegemueller, CFRE
President Elect - AFP, Minnesota Chapter
Holly McDonough Holly McDonough has been selected as MMF’s new associate vice president of development. After completing the search process, the members of the interview team unanimously agreed that Holly would be a wonderful fit for this position. Having worked at MMF for three-and-a-half years first as a gift planner and more recently as director of development, Holly has demonstrated great leadership skills and tenacity in donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. She has successfully lead the development program for the Center for Bioethics and played a key role in planned gifts for the Neuroscience/Special Initiatives teams and the Program for Human Sexuality. Additionally, Holly has done a wonderful job providing education and training around planned giving and other development-related topics, not only to MMF staff, but as guest lecturer for many conferences and workshops, and as adjunct instructor in the Philanthropy and Development Master’s program at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Prior to MMF, Holly worked as director of gift planning for St. Mary’s University in Winona; as executive director for the Cornucopia Art Center in Lanesboro, MN; and as planning and development director for Semcac – A Community Action Agency in Rushford, MN. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications, Training and Development and Spanish from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
New Discussion Group on Vulnerable Adults Solicitation Policy
By Judith Goff
Do you have concerns about what you can/should/should not do or say when you're interacting with one of your donors who might be considered a “vulnerable adult"?
Have you wondered how your request (for a current gift or a planned gift) might be misconstrued by the donor or his/her family? Have you wondered how the 2009 revisions to the Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Act might impact your work?
Have you wondered why there aren't any written guidelines that might help you and protect you as you consider solicitation of certain donors?
Let's get together and talk and share experiences and questions and see what evolves! Our goal might be to craft a “Vulnerable Adults Solicitation Policy” for the use of our community.
Now more than ever, it is important for MPGC members to keep current and share trends and valuable techniques with others. The Source e-newsletter is a great way to “get published” while helping inform members and friends of MPGC.
Whether it is a unique donor experience or an article regarding a proven giving strategy, we want to hear from you.
If you have an expertise or experience in the area that you want to share with the MPGC membership, contact Justin at justin.palecek@thrivent.com.
Submission Deadlines:
Spring 2010: March 31
Summer 2010: June 30
Help us make the MPGC newsletter the best it can be!
The ideas expressed in articles are solely the opinions of the authors and do not represent any position taken or advice given by MPGC. Any calculations are for illustration purposes only and should not be considered legal, accounting, or other professional advice.
Dear Minnesota Planned Giving Council Members,