Sharpe Insights: Conversations With Your Planned Giving Experts

Welcome to our nightmare ... we think you're going to like it! On this special Halloween episode, "Master of Fright" Barlow Mann puts our planned giving fears to rest by sharing what history and research can teach us about donor behavior, how advisors will play a greater role in the future, why not knowing the answer can be the answer, tricks for how to listen for donor concerns and some cost-effective marketing treats for expressing gratitude this fall.

Panelist info:

Host Grant Miller is an award-winning writer and editor for Sharpe Group who works closely with Sharpe clients to create compelling donor interviews for their newsletters. In addition to hosting the podcast, he frequently contributes to the Sharpe blog and Sharpe Insights newsletter. 

Barlow Mann, JD, Sharpe Group’s general counsel, started his career in university development and healthcare fundraising. His association with Sharpe began when he attended one of our National Planned Giving Institute seminars, and he joined the faculty in the late 1970s. In his decades with Sharpe Group, he has focused on consulting, seminar training and developing planned and major gift marketing efforts for nonprofit organizations of all sizes. He is a graduate of Tulane University and Memphis School of Law.

In this episode of Sharpe Insights, we dive into the art of storytelling and its vital role in fundraising through the lens of the Hero’s Journey. Join me as I discuss with Will Dixon and Dr. Russell James how the principles of this timeless narrative can transform donor relationships. We explore how fundraisers can embody the role of the guiding sage, helping donors navigate their own philanthropic journeys, and how to create compelling asks that resonate deeply with their identities. Discover practical strategies for nurturing donor connections and ensuring that their giving experience is fulfilling and meaningful. Tune in for insights that can enhance your planned giving program and inspire lasting impact.

Estate planning attorney Jennifer Norton joins host Grant Miller in a discussion about ways family dynamics can ruin a gift, why it's important to have a purpose statement as part of an estate plan, what fundraisers should focus on in a donor meeting and why having intentional touches with your older planned giving donors is essential.

Panelist info:

Host Grant Miller is an award-winning writer and editor for Sharpe Group who works closely with Sharpe clients to create compelling donor interviews for their newsletters. In addition to hosting the podcast, he frequently contributes to the Sharpe blog and Sharpe Insights Newsletter. 

Jennifer Norton is an attorney and owner of Norton Estate Planning & Elder Law Firm, LLC. Graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a degree in Finance, and from Maurer School of Law in 2008, she has focused her practice exclusively on estate planning since 2013. She provides comprehensive services including wills, trusts, powers of attorney (health and financial), living wills, guardianship/conservatorship assistance, probate administration and strategic Medicaid qualification.

Jennifer is a member of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys and serves as the vice president of the Trust & Estates Section of the National Bar Association.

Host Grant Miller welcomes Friends of the Children's National CEO Terri Sorensen to discuss the valuable lessons she has learned in the nonprofit's expansion, why balancing growth with sustainability is both art and science, the payoff of investing in growing your endowment and how one planned gift gave the organization the confidence to think big.

In this episode of Sharpe Insights, I sit down with Eileen Heisman, a veteran in the field of philanthropy with over 30 years of experience. Eileen shares invaluable lessons from her extensive career, including her transformative role at the National Philanthropic Trust, where she helped shape the landscape of donor-advised funds in the U.S. We discuss the importance of understanding both the technical and psychological aspects of planned giving, the necessity of cultivating enduring relationships with donors, and the evolving role of technology in philanthropy. Join us as Eileen provides insights on navigating challenges in the sector and the future of charitable giving, ensuring that you walk away with practical takeaways to enhance your own planned giving efforts.

Some things are too good to be true. On this episode, City of Hope's Adrienne Gibson and Marina Katsnelson discuss the critical ways gift acceptance policies help frame donor conversations, why they can also be called non-acceptance policies, how to work with other charities if a gift isn't right for your nonprofit, and timing your "no" to preserve and strengthen donor relationships.   

Panelist info:

Host Grant Miller is an award-winning writer and editor for Sharpe Group who works closely with Sharpe clients to create compelling donor interviews for their newsletters. In addition to hosting the podcast, he frequently contributes to the Sharpe blog and Sharpe Insights Newsletter. 

Adrienne Gibson serves as a senior executive director of planned giving at City of Hope. As a frontline fundraiser she cultivates, solicits and stewards deferred gifts. Adrienne strives to partner with donors to create personalized consultative plans that demonstrate the donor’s passion and provide creative solutions for real estate, income, and tax-related issues.

Adrienne’s career in philanthropy began at Scripps College where she spent 13 years building her fundraising toolkit in annual giving, alumnae relations and planned giving. She then led the philanthropy arm at the YMCA of Greater Whittier for 2.5 years as the executive director of financial development.

Marina Katsnelson currently serves as the senior executive director, estate administration at City of Hope. In this role, Marina oversees the estate and trust administration program, which includes managing probate and trust litigation, handling gifts of complex assets and facilitating realized bequests to City of Hope.

Prior to joining City of Hope in 2021, Marina managed estate administration at The Nature Conservancy for eight years. During her time with The Nature Conservancy, Marina regularly provided expertise to fundraisers on estate planning questions, oversaw litigation matters, and worked on complex real estate gifts that included devises, conversation easements, and retained life estates.

Marina received her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. She has significant experience with estate and trust administration matters and has previously given presentations at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Conference led a webinar for The NonProfit Times.

If Marvel had a planned giving universe, silence would be a superpower. Dr. Russell James returns to the podcast to provide science-backed methods for effectual donor conversations, why using the "wrong" terminology may be the right thing to do, the critical role of storytelling in donor meetings, an easy-to-memorize formula for listening and suggested language shifts to broaden your planned giving audience.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Listening well may hold the key. Alex Brovey, author of the “Zen and the Art of Fundraising:” series, joins the podcast to share her sixteen pillars of fundraising success, why you should be prepared to leave your agenda at the donor's door, how to spot cues and clues to identify gift potential and the importance of having a sense of humor and trusting your gut.   

Panelist info:

Host Grant Miller is an award-winning writer and editor for Sharpe Group who works closely with Sharpe clients to create compelling donor interviews for their newsletters. In addition to hosting the podcast, he frequently contributes to the Sharpe blog and Sharpe Insights Newsletter. 

Alexandra (Alex) Pia Brovey, JD, LLM, has more than 25 years of gift planning experience and is assistant vice president, gift planning at Northwell Foundation, which recently completed a $1.4 billion campaign. She worked at Penn State University, Pace University and Stony Brook University, and previously practiced law (estate planning) in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.

Alex is a board member of the American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) where she co-chairs the 100-year task force and serves on the Programs and Engagement Committees; president emeritus of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York; past board member and treasurer of CGP, chair of the Leadership Institute and a mentor; and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Long Island. Alex lectures nationally on many topics with an emphasis on Zen and the Art of Fundraising (she has a published trilogy) and serves on the editorial boards of “Planned Giving Today” and “Trusts & Estates” magazine.

Alex earned a B.A. from Penn State, a JD from Georgetown and an LLM Estate Planning from the University of Miami.

In this episode of Sharpe Insights, host Grant Miller delves into the complexities of receiving IRA gifts for nonprofits, a challenge often overlooked until it becomes urgent. Join us as we explore the innovative RIFT Project, launched by attorney Johnny Hayes, designed to streamline the process of collecting IRA funds after a donor's passing. Discover how this initiative addresses the significant delays and bureaucratic hurdles faced by charitable organizations when claiming these gifts. Johnny shares valuable insights on advocating for timely releases of funds and the steps nonprofits can take to navigate the often confusing landscape of financial institutions. Tune in for practical advice that can enhance your planned giving program and ensure your organization receives the support it deserves.

The donor giveth trust and the donor can take it away—in a heartbeat. Grant Miller welcomes journalists Rasheeda Childress and M.J. Prest from the Chronicle of Philanthropy to discuss ways technology can shore up—or erode—donor relationships, the short- and long-term effects of damaged trust, the importance of a “good apology” and why the human touch will always be integral to planned giving fundraising.