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 Elevating philanthropy through relationships and insights into gift planning


Upcoming events

    • 25 Apr 2024
    • 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 75 S 200 E, Salt Lake City, UT - The Wasatch Retreat & Conference Center​ at The Episcopal Church Center of Utah
    • 50

    More Info to Come....

    • 13 Jun 2024
    • 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 75 S 200 E, Salt Lake City, UT - The Wasatch Retreat & Conference Center​ at The Episcopal Church Center of Utah
    • 50

    More Info to Come....

    • 26 Sep 2024
    • 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 75 S 200 E, Salt Lake City, UT - The Wasatch Retreat & Conference Center​ at The Episcopal Church Center of Utah
    • 50

    More Info to Come....

    • 7 Nov 2024
    • 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
    • 75 S 200 E, Salt Lake City, UT - The Wasatch Retreat & Conference Center​ at The Episcopal Church Center of Utah
    • 50

    More Info to Come....

November 11th, 2020

Understanding Planned Giving around the SECURE & CARES Act 

Our speaker reviewed these changes and show how making gifts from retirement assets can still be a tax-smart option for charitable giving.

DAVID TOLL, JD, Senior Consultant with gift planning development, LLC that advises nonprofits and nonprofit leaders on fundraising and planned giving. David brings more than 19 years of professional experience in development and fundraising. He currently serves as the Senior Associate Vice President of the Office of Gift Planning at Drexel University where he is responsible for the development and implementation of university-wide planned giving efforts. David has presented at conferences around the country and has consulted with many groups in developing gift planning programs and structuring complex planned gifts. David is the immediate past president of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia. Before pursuing a career in higher education advancement, David spent several years practicing law at White and Williams, Patterson and Weir and Fox Rothschild with an emphasis on real estate, business, tax, and estate planning. David can be reached at David@giftplanningdevelopment.com.

September 9th, 2020

Soliciting Blended Gifts

This presentation will focus on the types of donors who are open to making a blended gift and the value of permission solicitation. We will cover the various types of blended gifts, as well as strategies for securing these donor-friendly donations.

Our Speaker: Eddie Thompson, Ed.D., FECP

Eddie founded the unique Thompson & Associates process in 1996 (then, under TrustMark Charitable Strategies) and later incorporating as its own entity in 2005. As CEO of Thompson & Associates, Eddie provides leadership and direction to over 35 seasoned charitable estate planners with an inspiring sense of generosity, integrity and passion for helping others.

By creating a unique values-based model at Thompson & Associates, Eddie and his team have established a way for people to dedicate the necessary time to consider important life decisions and to engage in thoughtful discussion that leads to optimal results for all.

He has planned thousands of estates, which has generated billions of dollars to charity during his thirty plus years working with nonprofits. Eddie speaks to organizations from coast to coast on successful fundraising techniques, nonprofit management and charitable estate planning and has garnered many honors during his distinguished career. He credits his parents with shaping his personal and professional path; they were very poor, but very generous.

Eddie serves as the Chair of the Charitable Estate Planning Institute, a 501(c)(3) public charity offering top level education on charitable estate planning for development staff, gift planning officers and professional advisors. Eddie and a group of Thompson & Associates colleagues formed the Institute in 2012. He is also a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning (FCEP) awarded by the Institute.

A native of Florida, Eddie and his wife, Sheryl, have been married over more than 40 years and have made Nashville their home. They have two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren. Eddie and his family are involved in many community organizations and their church. He is an instrument pilot with both land and seaplane ratings.

June 17th, 2020

Fundraising for Nonprofit Board Members

All board members are expected to fundraise, but how do we prepare them for such a significant part of their roles as board members? Based on Wayne Olson's new book, Fundraising for Nonprofit Board Members we will look at how we should expect board members to give, participate and ask others to give. Together we will dispel some myths about board member fundraising and look at ways to make it more effective and enjoyable for board members. We will also touch on how COVID-19 has affected fundraising and board member roles.


May 13th, 2020

Planned Giving Stewardship –

Sharing Ideas for Good Times and Unusual Circumstances

When we initially set out to plan the May UPGRT session on Planned Giving Stewardship, it was to be a roundtable to share and "steal" ideas from one another for the unicorn that is Planned Giving Stewardship.

In a short time, thanks to the novel coronavirus, everything has turned upside down, gone virtual, sheltered at home and social distanced. We hope you and yours are healthy and well.

Let’s gather by Zoom to share what we are doing currently doing to steward our wonderful planned giving donors and to navigate through a pandemic toward a newer normal. Beth Wolfer, Planned Giving Officer, Best Friends Animal Society will lead the discussion and invites all to chime in with their ideas, suggestions, and questions.


September 11th, 2019

Beyond Cash:  Planning Strategies for Complex Charitable Contributions

Event Sponsor:  Wells Fargo Advisors

In this informative session we go beyond the basics of DAFs and learn how these tools can be aligned with advanced strategies using complex assets.  This workshop will include a review of complex assets including profiles of potential donors and related case studies

This presentation answered questions like:

WHAT are complex assets?

WHY complex assets?

WHO are the right donors?

HOW to engage with donors?


May 8th, 2019

Growing Your Practice Through Philanthropy

Event Sponsor: 

​Many professionals (CPAs, Financial Advisors, Attorneys, etc.) and entrepreneurs dream of building a practice or a business that is profitable, but also provides social good. 

In this one hour panel, we will explore how nonprofit professionals have been successful. How did they build a profitable practice? What steps did they take? What obstacles do they face?

​Panelists will be Joanna Johnston of BDO (CPA), Lisa Schneider of Raymond James (Financial Advisor), and Blake Voorhees at Ray Quinney Nebeker (Attorney)

Join us for lunch, learning, and networking with a our community of professionals including development directors, fundraisers, gift planners, attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, wealth advisors, trust officers and other donor advisors.


March 6, 2019 

Simple Strategies for Small Non-profits: 

How to Integrate Planned Giving without wearing another hat or hiring a specialized staff member!

Event Sponsor:  

Small non-profits operate with leadership, staff and board members who are visionary, nimble, wear many hats each day, and may find planned giving to be yet another ‘have to’ piled on top of the lists of many things yet accomplished or tended to.   

In this one hour roundtable, hosted by the Utah Planned Giving Roundtable, we will explore how to integrate planned giving strategies into the fabric of your nonprofit culture without adding specialized staffing or adding more to your ‘to do’ lists. 


December 5th, 2018

The Basics of Impactful Philanthropy for Women

Event Sponsor:  Wells Fargo Advisors

UPGRT’s final professional development program for 2018, The Basics of Impactful Philanthropy for Women, is one you won’t want to miss!  Scott Cunningham, First Vice President and Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Advisors, will talk about the changing landscape of philanthropy and the increasing importance of women’s role in philanthropy.  This session will also explore how to become more intentional by creating a strategic giving plan that can be shared with clients’ or donors’ loved ones.


September 5th, 2018

"The Giving State" presented by Cicero Social Impact

Event Sponsor:  

You won't want to miss the great program we have lined up for the UPGRT September Professional Development luncheon.  Sariah Toronto, founder and principal at Claritas and a co-author of "The Giving State" report, will be sharing her insights on the report. The Giving State report provides data-driven insights into key trends, opportunities, and needs of Utah's social sector. This session will explore the planned giving application of some of the report's key findings. Join us to learn how to better engage your donors or clients in ways that benefit your organization, the donor, and the sector as a whole.


May 2nd, 2018

Insurance Strategies for Planned Giving

Event Sponsor:  

Life insurance has many uses in an estate plan, including estate liquidity, debt repayment, income replacement, charitable giving and wealth accumulation.  Join us on Wednesday, May 2 for “Insurance Strategies for Planned Giving” to learn more.

We will hear from Brad Powell, Regional Insurance Planning Specialist at Raymond James Insurance Group.  Brad spent more than 20 years as a sales and marketing executive with several major life insurance companies. He has been a Certified Financial Planner for more than 25 years, as well as a Registered Principal.  Come and hear an industry expert who will help us sort through the challenges of using life insurance as part of a charitable planned gift. 


March 7th, 2018

The Impact of the New Tax Law on Estate Giving

Event Sponsor:  

Last December Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  Many of us have questions about what this will mean for our clients or donors.  What are the implications of the new law on individuals?  Will the changes have a negative impact on charitable giving?  Did the Estate Tax change? Did the Gift Tax change?

If you have questions about the tax law and how it might affect your clients or donors, or giving to your organization, join us on March 7 to learn more.  UPGRT’s first professional development program for the year, “the Impact of the New Tax Law on Estate Giving” will answer many of your questions.


December 6th, 2017

Event Sponsor:  

Year-End Charitable Gift Strategies for Every Donor

Matt Mitton, attorney from Salt Lake city law firm, Jones Waldo shared some simple gift strategies with your donors or clients can initiate without a lot of difficulty.  

September 6th, 2017

Event Sponsor:  

"What we wish you Knew: How to connect the dots between charities and advisors to create a successful donor planned giving experience"

May 3rd, 2017

Event Sponsor:  

"The Heritage Process" - A Value-Added Process to Help You Retain Existing Donors and Engage Upcoming Generations

John Unice, CEO and Senior Partner of Keeler Thomas will discuss the "3rd element" of successful generational planning.  The goal is to prepare the family to receive their inheritance to achieve things that matter most to family.

March 1st, 2017

Event Sponsor: 

"Current Issues in the Planned Giving Industry" - Roundtable discussion with UPGRT members and guests


2016 Programs

March:  Roundtable Discussion

May:  Marketing to the Next Generation of Planned giving Donors

September:  Myth busters of Charitable Estate Planning

December:  Charitable Planning with Complex Assets

2015 Programs

March:  The Benefit of Trusts in Estate Planning - Types of Trusts for Charitable Planning

June:  Intentional Engagement - Counseling Clients about Bequests Disclosures

September:  Planned Giving and Taxes - Making the Most of Your Planned Gift

December:  How to Keep your Donors Happy (Substantiating Charitable Gifts)

2014 Programs

March:  Overview of Charitable Gifts Through Estates

June:  Helping Small Business Owners to Give Safely: Planned Gifts Using S-Corp Stock

September:  How a Team Comes Together to Realize a Planned Gift

December:  A Look at How Women Approach Finance and Philanthropy

2013 Programs

March:  2013 Tax Update: Implications for Charitable Giving

June:  Using Financial Planning to Uncover Gifting

September:  Take the Bulls-Eye Off Your Donor

December:  The Case for Keeping a Planned Giving Program Alive

2012 Programs

March:  Practical Strategies to Increase Planning Gifts

June:  Donor Advised Funds

September:  Working with Professional Advisors

December:  The Fiscal Cliff and Other Year End Planning Issues

2011 Programs

March:  How Accountants Advise Their Clients on Charitable Giving

June:  Inside the Mind of the Donor

September:  Economic Update

December: Innovation in the Media: Lessons from Deseret News

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Contact us at:  admin@upgrt.org

Utah Planned Giving Roundtable

P.O. BOX 1526

Salt Lake City, UT 84110



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