Where can I find information or a class on planned giving?

Web Resources on Planned Giving:

National Committee on Planned Giving is a professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts. The site provides links to other sites of interest concerning planned giving.

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) has information about planned giving and major gifts, including links to other legal and online resources.

Print Resources on Planned Giving:

• Barrett, Richard D. and Molly E. Ware. Planned Giving Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success. Frederick, MD: Aspen Publishers, 1997. Divided into two parts. The first part introduces basic planned giving principles and practices, and the second part provides a guide to implementing a planned giving program.

• Brown, David W. "What research tells us about planned giving." International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 9 (February 2004) p. 86-95. The author identifies seven philanthropic styles, each having its own priorities and value system. He explains how these differences impact bequest marketing.

• Cohen, Todd. "Planned Giving Software Gets Answers to Donors." Exempt 3 (January-February 2005) p. 6-7, 18-9, 23. Nonprofits can invest in planned giving software that creates various scenarios for prospective donors. The author compares several products on the market.

• Dove, Kent E., Alan M. Spears, and Thomas W. Herbert. Conducting a Successful Major Gifts and Planned Giving Program: A Comprehensive Guide and Resource. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2002. Explains how to identify prospects for major gifts, and how this level of philanthropy relates to planned giving. Outlines how to build a program for this type of fundraising and how to market it. Also delves into the tax issues that fundraisers need to understand. Part two of the book is a resource guide with various sections, including a sample letter of inquiry and proposal, sample brochure, templates for drawing up trust agreements, and a financial planner for donors.

• Foote, Joseph. Family Philanthropy & Donor-Advised Funds. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Family Philanthropy, 2000. A guide providing tips and resources to families interested in setting up donor-advised funds. Author uses anecdotes to illustrate how families have benefited from the flexibility, convenience, and degree of anonymity of this approach to philanthropy.

• "Gift Design Bias in Charitable Gift Planning." Journal of Gift Planning 7 (3rd quarter 2003) p. 28-32. Examines the Model Standards of Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner, the ethics statement of the National Committee on Planned Giving.

• Grant Thornton, LLP. Planned Giving: A Board Member's Perspective. Rev. ed. Washington, DC: BoardSource, 2003. A basic planned giving guide that includes chapters on bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and other planned giving options.

• Krause, Cynthia Wilson. "How to Hire a Planned Giving Officer." Journal of Gift Planning 7 (First quarter 2003) p. 23-7, 53-7. Advice for organizations that are just launching a program, as well as those with established staffs, the article delves into the skill set and experience needed by a planned giving officer. Includes interviews with several development leaders about their practices and standards.

• Mangone, Betsy A. "Designing and Marketing Your Planned Giving Web Site." Journal of Gift Planning 8 (2nd quarter, 2004) p. 19-24, 50-3.

• Patterson, Michael R. "Outsourcing Planned Giving Taps Into Expert Networks." NonProfit Times 18 (1 November 2004) p. 1, 8-9. Nonprofits without financial resources for in-house planned giving programs may consider seeking advice and support from consultants, foundations, or other agencies. Sidebar lists issues to consider when outsourcing planned giving programs. Also available online.

• Schneiter, Paul H. (Ed.) Practical Guide to Planned Giving, 2000. Farmington Hills, MI: The Taft Group, 1999. Provides marketing and technical information to help development officers establish permanent planned giving programs.

• White, Douglas E. The Art of Planned Giving: Understanding Donors and the Culture of Giving. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.

For other books and articles on planned giving, try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could start searching on the subject "Planned giving".

Many of the books and articles found through CNL can be located in Center Libraries and some Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings.

Classes and Seminars on Planned Giving:

The Chronicle of Philanthropy offers a listing of conferences and workshops from around the country, including those on planned giving (select the term "planned giving" from the subject menu).

The Foundation Center's conference calendar listings are posted chronologically.

Each of the five Foundation Center libraries (Atlanta, Cleveland, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.) have local training events listings on their Web sites.

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