LEAVE A LEGACY® Development Day 2008

 

May 15, 2008

Fairlane Club

Dearborn, MI

Registration:  8:30 – 9:00 AM

Morning Sessions

Practical Track

9:00 – 9:50 AM:  How to Start a Planned Giving Program from Scratch.  If you are new to planned giving, or contemplating starting a planned giving program at your organization, this is the session that will help you get started.  From obtaining board and leadership buy-in, organizational assessment, database segmentation, marketing, and evaluating resources, etc.  (Presenter:  Pam Davidson)

10:00 – 10:50 AM:  Bequests and Gift Annuities: The Foundation of a Planned Giving Program.  An introduction or review (for those needing a refresher) of the nuts and bolts of the two most used planned gifts, bequests and charitable gift annuities.  The session will describe the types of bequests and gift annuities, steps to prepare your organization to offer these gift options, and marketing tips.  (Presenter:  Shari Fox)

11:00 – 11:50 AM:  Putting It All Together.  An interactive session with a panel of experts to assist the development professional who is responsible for planned giving either as a one-person operation or expanding planned giving responsibility among multiple staff members.  .  Lots of “how to” information on marketing, planned giving conversations with donors, balancing multiple time demands, etc.  (Presenters:  Pam Davidson, Shari Fox and Greg Schupra)

Technical Track

3 sessions scheduled from 9:00 to 11:50 AM to focus on advanced charitable giving techniques.  Joseph Saker will recruit Bernstein employees as speakers.

 

Preparing for perpetuity: how to align investments, distributions, and goals within a private foundation (Presenter: Brian Wodar)

 

A foundation represents a powerful commitment to do charitable good. Our research provides guidance for potential donors on:

 

·         Comparing the benefits of a foundation with those of other charitable alternatives

·         Establishing a family philanthropic legacy without compromising personal lifestyle

 

And for directors and trustees, our research provides guidance on:

·         Identifying asset-allocation and gifting policies that best match charitable objectives

·         Determining whether “perpetuity” is a realistic goal

·         Managing the trade-offs among asset growth and the amount and stability of distributions 

 

 

Dimensioning the power of a charitable remainder trust: how to optimize the trust’s term, payout structure, and investing to the maximum benefit of all beneficiaries  (Presenter: Heather Tanguay)

 

Charitable remainder trusts are an attractive vehicle for many wealthy families, but they can be fraught with financial complexities. Our research demystifies the moving parts of these trusts and provides new insights, some of which may challenge conventional wisdom:

 

·         The highest allowable payout may not result in the greatest long-term personal wealth

·         Higher equity allocations should maximize wealth over time; but when combined with high payout, risk escalates

·         Municipal bonds generally produce greater after-tax payouts, particularly in the early years

 

A quantitative framework that assesses what assets to contribute, how to set the payout rate, and which asset allocation to select is not only useful, but imperative. 

 

Developing sound investment management and asset allocation policies for foundations and charities  (Presenter: Richard Meyers)

 

Fiduciaries of nonprofits, foundations, and endowments have many responsibilities, but key among them are defining an overall investment plan that serves the organization’s charitable objectives, arriving at a prudent asset allocation that best supports these goals, and determining what level of giving is sustainable without eroding the real value of the portfolio. We will discuss how directors and trustees can set investment objectives to create a sound investment plan. Among the questions that we will explore are:

 

·         What is the best process for selecting a combination of asset classes to limit a portfolio’s potential short-term losses while generating long-term gains?

·         How do changes in asset allocation affect the probability of meeting objectives?

·         What factors need to be weighed in order to determine a sustainable level of distributions?

·         What is the impact of rebalancing between asset classes and managing assets on long-term wealth?

 

Afternoon Plenary Sessions:

 

Lunch Buffet

12:15 (At Lunch) – Achieving Financial Stability: Is it possible for a Nonprofit Organization? (Presenter: Greg Schupra)

Is it possible for a nonprofit organization to achieve financial stability?  If so, what role does charitable gift planning play in the process?  This discussion will explore ways for a nonprofit organization to achieve financial stability and how raising funds from the “other pocket” will help to secure its long-term financial sustainability.

 

12:50 (at lunch)  Legislative Overview – Robin Ferriby

1:10 – 2:20 PM         How to Assist a Donor in Determining one’s gifting capacity during one’s lifetime (Presenter: Brian Wodar)

Given the uncertainties of the capital markets and life’s twists and turns, retirees want assurance that they’ll be able to maintain their lifestyle should they decide to gift to charity during their lifetime.  Planning is necessary to negotiate the rough patches—whether measured in stock market downturns, inflationary spikes, or sudden change in personal circumstances. We’ll highlight the following to determine one’s gifting capacity and share a case study:

 

·        How much you’ll need for a comfortable retirement

·        Why spending rate will drive all your other decisions

·        When to ratchet down your portfolio’s risk level with bonds

·        How “excess” capital creates an opportunity for gifting

 

2:30 – 4:00 PM         How Boom Generation Women Will Re-Write the Rules of Philanthropy (Presenter:  Margaret May Damen)

Get ready for a philanthropic revolution. The evolution of a revolution of more than 38 million boom-generation women, the first of which turned age 60 as they made their 2006 New Year resolutions. According to statistical research, a member of the boom -generation cohort peer group born between 1946 and 1964 will celebrate a 60th birthday every seven seconds for the next 19 years. And over half of them are women. Boom-generation women make up 51% of the 77 million boomers who historians William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book “Generations” define as a “generation with a common perceived membership and a common call to destiny.” A common call to destiny magnified in the ‘60's Cultural Revolution and echoed in Betty Freidan's writings and Bob Dylan's lyrics. A cultural revolution led by impatient, passionate and defiant boomers who rallied as Dylan wailed “These times are a-changing.”

 

 

End at 4:00 PM