What Our Grant Recipients Are Saying

“There is great enthusiasm on our team as we design an engaging and effective planned giving curriculum, validated by rigorous research.  The goal is to make the knowledge of the craft more accessible, enabling more nonprofits to flourish.”

Amir Pasic

Eugene R. Tempel Dean, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

“The Planned Giving Initiative CGP Councils grant program has been critical to councils coming out of the pandemic and restoring valued local programming. The designed flexibility of purpose within the grant application process has allowed councils to address specific needs, implement innovative programming and better serve their local communities.

For example, these grants allowed councils to address issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion without draining resources from regular programming. Councils have been able to continue this meaningful work sustainably, and these efforts now serve as models for other councils to adopt, thereby increasing the impact of these initiatives across the CGP national network of councils.”

Michael Kenyon

President and CEO, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners

“During my time working with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation through the CASE Advancement Internship in Summer 2023 I was able to be exposed to a career field that I previously did not have much knowledge on. I was able to understand the inner workings of advancement and with my insight in this career field I can use that in any career I decide to pursue.

CASE allowed for me to make wonderful professional connections with other interns and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation helped me to relate to donors and work under a great organization. I truly would not have been able to have this valuable experience if it was not for the Planned Giving Initiative and I am forever grateful.”

Khaliyah Davis

2023 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation CASE Advancement Intern

“I have always considered working in higher ed after I graduate from college. Thanks to the Planned Giving Initiative, I was able to work in the Planned Giving department at BC for the summer to get a taste of what that’s like.

My favorite thing that I have been able to work on is preparing for the new campaign launching in the Fall. A lot of planning is put into it, so I have loved to be a part of it and contribute to successful fundraising efforts for the next several years! I have worked with my supervisor to help forecast what the planned giving department needs to contribute, which has been really exciting to work on as I have learned about forecasting in some of my Economics classes! I can’t wait to see how the campaign goes, especially for the Gift Planning team!”

Devin Kline

2023 Boston College Intern

“Thank you for the incredible opportunity to spend the summer in a stunning building and top-notch work environment.  I will cherish these weeks forever.”

Sam Plusker

2023 University of Illinois Foundation CASE Advancement Intern

“Thanks to the previous support of the Planned Giving Initiative, National Capital Gift Planning Council has been able to incorporate a wider range of speakers for its programs and compensate them fairly for their time.  The diverse nature of our programming has resulted in new members to our Council from HBCUs, an important sector in our area.”

Ann Kolakowski

CAP®, CFRE, NCGPC Immediate Past President

“With the grant from the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners through the Planned Giving Initiative, the Planned Giving Round Table of Northern Nevada was able to grow gift planning awareness in our region and expand PGRT’s membership base.”

Planned Giving Round Table of Northern

“Without this support, Virginia Tech would not have pursued this opportunity.  However, as a result of PGI’s investment, we were able to expose a talented student to a career in Advancement in general and planned giving in particular.  We were able to complete two projects that we have needed for some time.  And perhaps most importantly, we have gained important experience in how to operate an internship – something that will be extremely valuable as we continue to grapple with talent pipeline issues that so many Advancement offices face.”

Steve T. Clark

Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning, Virginia Tech

“Scores of smaller nonprofit organizations operating with a very small (one-to-three person) development offices are vital to the nonprofit community due to the variety of humanitarian and life-enhancing services they provide.  Yet, it is critical for these thinly stretched staffs at these organizations to understand the importance of gift planning for their long-term financial stability.  CGPK is grateful to the Hibel Foundation’s Planned Giving Initiative and to CGP for assisting CGPK to reach more deeply into this targeted membership area and bring diverse and useful programming to expand professional planned giving knowledge and services.”

Charitable Gift Planners of Kentuckiana

“With the assistance provided by CGP and PGI’s grant award, Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners was able to complete a DEI audit and are now poised with recommendations to implement educational and networking opportunities directly to organizations, and build a bottom-up strategy that will create a pipeline of future Council leadership and a strong and diverse pool of subject matter experts.”

Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners

“We are enthusiastic to continue partnering with you in the years to come through the internship and graduate trainee programs!  Your commitment is inspiring, and we are eager to collaborate further to make an even greater impact on our profession and beyond.” 

Sue Cunningham

President and CEO, CASE

“We’re so grateful that you have kept BandWith in mind over the past several years, lifting up our mission with your support and advocacy. It is a daily blessing to be able to share the gift of music with our peers and our community and we are humbled by the generosity that helps allow that to happen.”

Annie Palomino

Founder and Executive Director, BandWith Chicago

“Thank you for the scholarship to attend!  It made a huge difference in my mindset about how long I plan on staying in the fundraising world because I learned so much!  Thank you!”

Kristen Sullivan Lynch

National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Conference Scholarship Recipient

Since the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Associations Foundation (NHBCUAAF) began partnering with PGI, it is the beginning of beneficial enhancements for our HBCUs. It is a way to support the missions and goals of HBCUs, to support our current and future students, increase planned giving, and diversify program offerings. Because philanthropic planned giving is new to some HBCUs, it is supplying the tools necessary to help them increase legacy giving.

Ty Couey

President, NHBCUAAF