Hosts Camille Pearson-Walz and Kristi Ackley are joined by Chris Beach, Senior Vice President at the Minneapolis Foundation, for a dynamic conversation about donor-advised funds (DAFs) and their evolving role in philanthropy. Together, they explore innovative giving strategies, the importance of building strong nonprofit relationships, and how community foundations can foster deeper engagement between donors and the causes they care about. Whether you're a nonprofit leader or a donor seeking to make a lasting impact, this episode offers practical insights and fresh perspectives on modern philanthropy.

In this episode, hosts Gay Gonnerman and Camille Pearson-Walz sit down with guest Jennifer Vickerman Akaolisa to explore the powerful role women play in shaping the future of philanthropy. From the great wealth transfer to the unique challenges and opportunities women face in legacy planning, they dive into how women approach giving, investing, and creating impact. Learn how to draw out a woman's vision for legacy, the importance of engaging women in financial conversations, and how giving circles are empowering the next generation of female philanthropists.

In this episode, Growth By Design's Kristi Ackley sits down with Kyle Wesely of Wesely & Wesely, a CPA firm specializing in tax and financial planning, to discuss how charitable tax planning can maximize the impact of giving. They explore strategies that help donors support causes they care about while optimizing tax benefits.

Join guest host Rebecca Lynn Peterson of West Central

In this episode of A Legacy of Generosity, host Ali Schneider, Planned Giving Manager at Animal Humane Society, chats with Sherrie Beal, Associate Director of Gift Planning at The Nature Conservancy. With over 20 years of experience in one of the longest-running planned giving programs, Sherrie shares invaluable insights gained from this extensive history. They discuss the significant impact of planned giving, and Sherrie offers personal experiences and advice on having in-depth conversations with donors about their intentions, educating donors about planned giving options, encouraging long-term thinking, and prioritizing efforts in fundraising to maximize impact. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on fostering meaningful donor relationships and creating lasting legacies.

Join host Kristi Ackley and guest Chris Haarstick for a captivating conversation about the significance of our hometowns and the power of investing in the future. Discover the inspiring story of how Chris, as a young man, made the initial seed donation to start a community fund at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, transforming his small hometown with thousands of dollars in grants. Chris shares his crucial advice for development officers: "always pick up the phone," emphasizing that even unexpected calls can lead to impactful donations. The episode also delves into the philanthropic potential of younger generations, urging development directors not to overlook them, but to adapt their approach. Tune in to learn how small beginnings can lead to big changes and how the next generation is shaping the future of giving.

Join Gay Gonnerman and guest, Dale Wright, for a conversation about collaborating across your organization. Dale shares his “Core Four” principals of leadership with advice every team member can use.Core Four: Attitude, Focus, Discipline, and Consistency.

About Our Guest:

Dale Wright is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dale is an advancement executive with 20+ years of extensive experience in higher education and non profit fundraising with progressive responsibility in constituent involvement, leadership, management, and building and leading high performing teams.

He has a proven record of success in alumni affairs, program development and execution, securing and stewarding major and principal gifts, as well as multi-year comprehensive capital campaign experience, including three (3) $1B+ campaigns. As a skilled negotiator and collaborator, his ability to cultivate networks amongst a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to foster long-term relationships is unique.

He feels honored to work with remarkable benefactors, ambassadors, and volunteers to create deep and lasting impact.

In this episode of the Legacy of Generosity podcast, join host, Ali Schneider, as she discusses with Christy Boysen of Apex Legacy Consultants how Apex Legacy takes a unique approach to help their clients plan their legacies. Christy also shares how fundraisers can use the same approach with their donor, when fundraisers should recommend that their donors contact a professional consultant, and how fundraisers can work with professional consultants like Apex Legacy.

About our guest:

Christy Boysen, MA, CFRM, FCEP, owner and head Legacy Planning Consultant at Apex Legacy Consultants, specializes in planned giving strategy and helping donors imagine how they can align their values with their finances through legacy planning. She’s helped clients establish legacy planning programs that educate and capitalize on tax-efficient charitable tools: Qualified Charitable Distributions, Donor Advised Funds, Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Trusts, and more. Through this work, she's inspired donors to commit hundreds of millions of dollars to loved ones and their favorite causes.

She holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education, a Certificate in Fundraising Management through Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and is a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning (FCEP). Her experience in planned giving, higher education, and strategic mindset make her an asset to any organization looking to drive meaningful change and create lasting impact.

Christy loves biking–she once even cycled across the country for charity–and leads historical food tours in her hometown and at a local winery. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband; their dog, Lucy; and 24 thriving houseplants.

Do you feel like your fundraising events are discounted from your overall fund development plan and donor cultivation strategy? Listen in to our interview with Anne Rodenberg, Director of Major & Planned Giving at Wilder Foundation in St. Paul for some insight on how you can change that. Our host for this episode, Kristi Ackley with Growth By Design, asks Anne about her approach to events, ideas for building relationships related to major, planned and legacy gifts, and how to maximize these opportunities to be face to face with donors and friends of your organization.

Did you miss this episode? Here's a chance to listen to one of our most popular interviews.

This is the year to build a sustainable planned giving program by incorporating gift planning into your annual fundraising plan. We discuss overcoming barriers, normalizing legacy giving among leadership, and how to add action-steps and accountability into your already packed to-do list. Join co-hosts ⁠Carl Newbanks⁠ and ⁠Marie Ruzek⁠ as they hear how Sarah Staiger successfully started a planned giving program. Hint: it includes seeking out advice from MN Gift Planning Association members! Sarah and her business partner Laura Vitelli, have generously offered to listeners, a free 90-minute coaching sessions. You can find them at: ⁠https://staigervitelli.com/about-us