Moderated by AFP's own Bart Landess of the YMCA, panelists Phillips Bragg of Bragg Financial, Brandon Davis of The Morehead Group, Meg Goldstein of Meg Goldstein Law, and Ann Marie Schmitz from BDO Seidman discussed their experiences in helping clients to plan gifts that are mutually beneficial to donors and their heirs, as well as the organizations receiving them.
 
In particular, our panelists advocate the importance of working with estate-planning professionals so that donors and organizations alike receive the maximum benefits of planned giving.  Ann Marie Schmitz recounted an unfortunate instance in which a planned giving officer gave incorrect advice that was costly to a donor, because they did not know their donor's full financial picture.  They also stressed the importance of building relationships between development professionals.  Brandon Davis noted that there are estate planning techniques that can provide benefits to all the family members and their charities, and encouraged a broad and long view of your relationship with donors.  Meg Goldstein counceled that she and other professional advisors often will encourage gifts to charity from the estate of their clients, and recommended that development officers provide professional advisors with up to date information about their charity. 

Overall, the message of the day was 1) build your relationship, 2) be patient and 3) communicate with the family and professional advisors, as well as your donor.

For more information about planned giving, visit the Leave A Legacy page on our AFP Charlotte website.