Current Article Digest

President's Keyboard
Margaret Gaither

LEADERSHIP

The ability to motivate others to work towards a shared vision

• How to anchor the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council (GCPGC) Board of Trustees in on-going strategies of the council?
• How to improve the board’s ability to govern the council from a more strategic position?

These over-arching questions were at the heart of a strategic planning retreat facilitated by Tanya Howe Johnson, President and CEO of the National Committee on Planned Giving for board trustees and officers of The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council (GCPGC). The goal of the planning session was to reach a shared vision for the council and build consensus on manageable priorities for the next three years, focusing on membership, administration, programs and LEAVE A LEGACY®.

Strengths and successes were identified in each priority area as well as the challenges and opportunities for improvement. Outcomes for each of the priorities were also established. Consideration was given to reduce, increase or create anew the programs and activities of the Council. The complete strategic plan is available for your review on GCPGC web site at http://www.gcpgc.org.

While the strategic priorities of the Council have been identified, along with outcomes and strategies to achieve success, the major work lies ahead. A special task force, headed by board members Karen Zerhusen Kruer and Steve Hegge, has been established to make sure the recommendations and outcomes outlined in the strategic plan are implemented throughout all Council activities, programs and administration over the next three years. Karen and Steve plan to meet with each committee chairperson to gain their insight and use their experiences to successfully incorporate the strategic plan in each priority area.

While board members and committee chairpersons provide leadership for Council activities and educational programs, each and every member plays a vital role. The future effectiveness of the Council depends upon the current leadership to motivate members to join in the work to achieve the shared outcomes envisioned in the strategic plan.

What can you do to help achieve the shared vision of our Council? You can serve on one of the current committees, volunteer for a special task force or offer your expertise for a particular project or task. While board terms are a commitment of three years, committee activities require just a few hours a month for a limited time.

To ensure the continuation of quality programs and future effectiveness of the Council, you are invited to offer your talents and time. The Board is looking for individuals who can conduct grant research and writing or contact sponsors to support educational events. If you have a flair for writing or editing, you can volunteer on a task force that is currently updating the by-laws and job descriptions. Simply contact me at (513) 768-6137 to find out more about the various committees and how you can participate in the shared vision for the future of The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council.

Other news:

LEAVE A LEGACY® update
Tami Tarpley, Director of Strategic Initiatives, NCPG, recently announced changes to the LEAVE A LEGACY® program that will help you more easily manage and promote your local efforts to participate in the LEAVE A LEGACY program. LEAVE A LEGACY campaigns are no longer required to register annually with NCPG. While the benefits of program registration are important for national reporting, it is no longer a requirement.

Updated LEAVE A LEGACY marketing material is available for viewing at http://www.leavealegacy.org. You may view the PSA, campaign ads and donor stories with just the click of your mouse or contact Association Connection at (513) 554-3071 to order material for your campaign.

Voices of Giving
You should have received your packet to nominate a donor for the 2008 Voices of Giving Award that honors donors who have indicated that they have left a planned gift to Greater Cincinnati organizations and institutions. This year’s event will be held at the Taft Museum of Art. Nominees should arrive 4:45 P.M. to get their photographs taken. Cocktails are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the award ceremony will be held from 6:15 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. There is no charge for this event, but reservations are required. Please contact Jim Friedman, chairperson at (513) 985-1524 or jffriedman@jfedcin.org for more information. The deadline for nominations is May 15, 2008. Committee members are Steve Hegge, Rene McPhedran, Mary Newman, and Melissa Robich.

NCPG National Conference
It’s not too early to start making plans for the 2008 National Conference on Planned Giving to take place October 22-25, 2008, in Denver, Colorado, at the Colorado Convention Center. Information on how to register is posted on the NCPG home page at http://www.ncpg.org. Registration for the conference will start at the end of May.

Margaret L. Gaither, President GCPGC

GCPGC Strategic Plan
Facilitated by: Tanya Howe Johnson, CAE, President and CEO, National Committee on Planned Giving®

Introduction

How to anchor the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council (GCPGC) Board of Directors in on-going strategies of the council? How to improve the board’s ability to govern the council from a more strategic position?

These overarching questions motivated the leaders of GCPGC to come together in September of 2007 for a strategic planning workshop, facilitated by Tanya Howe Johnson, President and CEO of the National Committee on Planned Giving. This was the third in an on-going series of planning sessions conducted by the council and facilitated by Ms. Johnson

All current council board members were invited to participate in the session. In attendance were:

Board:
Gina Weitzel, President
Heather Dare
Jim Friedman
Margaret Gaither
Steve Hegge
Andrea Herzig
Mary Alice Koch
Mark Maxwell
Whitney O’Neal
Laura Raines
Mary Rust
Barbara Schaefer
Jeff Stec
Conrad Thiede

Tanya Howe Johnson, Facilitator
David Roberts, NCPG Staff

GCPGC HISTORY

1989 Breakfast meetings start with approximately 12 people attending; SEARCH (Strategic Education And Research Coffee Hour) begins; quarterly newsletter Synergy

1992 Primer programs begin.

1993 Began partnership with NSFRE for National Philanthropy Day; hire council administrator; added advanced programs

1996 Synergy newsletter goes bi-monthly; LEAVE A LEGACY® founded

1999 LEAVE A LEGACY® newsletter started; first LEAVE A LEGACY "Voices of Giving" awards.; added intermediate programs

2000 Education grew to 6 breakfast programs and 3 seminars; first strategic planning workshop held.

2003 Direct follow-up with new and lapsed members; second strategic planning workshop held

2003 Hired public relations firm for LEAVE A LEGACY®

2003 Voices of Giving becomes an event

2004 $30,000 for three years-3 commitments

2005 Search Meetings become “Conversation & Coffee”, more interactive and better quality (still monthly)

2005 Begin spring seminar

2005 Started "Planned Giving on the Run"

2006 Programs become more timely and member-directed

2006 Fired public relations firm

2006 Made LEAVE A LEGACY® the public relations arm for GCPGC

2007 Website revamped

2007 Re-designed sponsorship program

2007 New council logo

2007 Membership over 220; third strategic planning workshop held

Mission

The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council is a member council of the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG), a national professional association representing 128 planned giving councils and over 10,000 individuals involved in the process of charitable gift planning.

NCPG’s mission is to
increase the quality and quantity of charitable planned gifts
by serving as the voice and professional resource for the gift planning community

GCPGC's mission is to
increase the quantity and quality of planned giving in our community
by providing a forum for education, training, and networking
among various professional disciplines involved in gift planning,
in accordance with the Model Standards of Practice for Charitable Gift Planners.

Key Issues

The goal of the planning session was to reach a shared vision for the council, and build consensus on manageable priorities for the next three years. Participants identified a list of key issues for discussion:

• LEAVE A LEGACY®
• Sponsorships
• What this council means to small nonprofits
• Membership
• Communications/PR
• Administrative Staff
• Collaboration with competition

Strategic Analysis

A strategic analysis of council operations was completed, which focused on four key areas of activity: Membership, Programs, Administration, and LEAVE A LEGACY®.

Membership:
Strengths and Successes
 Growing
 Diversity
 Website
 Electronic communication
 Information sharing at events
 Welcome calls
 Planned Giving on the Run
 Mentoring
 Membership survey (automated)
 LEAVE A LEGACY® pins

Weaknesses and Challenges
 Diversity(individuals)
 Regular e-newsletter
 Networking peer-to-peer
 Name tag issues
 Membership value
 Do we want to grow?
 Involve members on committees

Programs:
Strengths and Successes
 Conversation & Coffee
 Planned Giving on the run
 Voices of Giving
 Collaboration with National Planned Giving Day
 Advanced Seminar
 Website
 Current Sponsors make programs possible
 Collaborating with Estate Planning Council and AFP

Weaknesses and Challenges
 Questioning sponsorship in the future
 Attendance especially at Spring Seminar
 Competition in community for advanced seminars
 Voices of Giving PR

Administration:
Strengths and Successes
 Able to replace treasurer
 Core board membership works very hard-very active
 Association Connection does some tasks very well
 Monthly board meetings are run well, productive- starts good time of day
 Great GCPGC connections to obtain sponsorships
 For an organization of this size to get the # of sponsorships is positive
 Good board representation of development professionals, for profit companies small/large nonprofits, etc

Weaknesses and Challenges
 Some board members are inactive
 Association Connection does some tasks poorly or not at all
 Not enough time to accomplish tasks
 Need a board meeting location that is more easily accessible
 Sponsorship $ is drying up due to budgets and competition
 Difficult to find replacement officers/chairs board members who have the time to serve
 Need to update bylaws
 Board members need updated board manuals annually
 No governance committee

LEAVE A LEGACY:
Strengths and Successes
 Support from money partners
 LEAVE A LEGACY® logo easy to use
 Printed materials utilized
 Easy for small nonprofits to get into planned giving
 High awareness among GCPGC members
 Economical for small nonprofits
 LEAVE A LEGACY® chair on Board

Weaknesses and Challenges
 LEAVE A LEGACY® chair on Board
 100%branding integration
 LEAVE A LEGACY® ads difficult to use(registered)
 Broad base use of logo (branding conflicts)
 Public awareness
 Cost to promote
 Consistent marketing
 Measure effective outcomes

ENDS Policies

Based upon the mission and strategic analysis it was determined that work undertaken by GCPGC toward accomplishing the following outcomes, or Ends will be critical to addressing future-oriented strategic needs of the council. These outcomes are expressed in the following ENDS Policies. Each policy should include an organizational resource allocation or priority ranking—future work that is critical for the board to complete.

ENDS Policy 1: Membership

GCPGC has a diverse and involved membership

Definition
• Members participate in achieving goals of the council
• Members communicate to the community the goals of the council
• Members participate in growing membership
• Membership reflects diversity of the profession

ENDS Policy 2: Membership

GCPGC is THE planned giving educational networking resource for gift planning professionals in Cincinnati area

Definition
• GCPGC offers multiple and diverse programs
• Offers multiple and diverse networking opportunities

ENDS Policy 3: Administration

GCPGC has accurate and effective paid administrative service

Definition
• Accurate service
• Timely service

ENDS Policy 4: Administration

GCPGC board and volunteer leadership participation is rewarding and engaging

Definition
• Greater community awareness
• High attendance at board meetings
• Participation is seen as prestigious
• Good succession planning
• Sufficient volunteer capacity to effectively administer GCPGC

ENDS Policy 5: LEAVE A LEGACY®

GCPGC's LEAVE A LEGACY program is easily understood and user friendly for nonprofits, professional advisors, and the community at large

Definition
 All nonprofits in greater Cincinnati incorporate the LEAVE A LEGACY message in their regular marketing material
 Professional advisors in greater Cincinnati incorporate the LEAVE A LEGACY message in their regular marketing material and practice

BLUE OCEANS GRIDS

Membership:

Eliminate
Nothing

Increase
 Members'understanding/knowledge of member benefits
 Number of non-board members participating on committees
 Outreach opportunities to other similar professional organizations

Reduce
 Perception that GCPGC is only for specialized professions

Create
 Subsidize scholarship to increase diversity
 Annual networking/orientation opportunity for new members
 Beginners “open space’ brown bag lunch or breakfast

Programs:
Eliminate
 "Spring” Seminar
 Current sponsorship program
 Technical, advanced seminar

Increase
 C&C –“Exciting” gift report
 VOG- PR value for GCPGC
 Seminars-increase diverse programs, family philanthropy, encourage professional
 Advisors to promote the benefits of philanthropy
 Leverage “Planned Giving on the Run”

Reduce
 Number of board meetings

Create
 One day “Gift Planning”- Morning #101, Lunch –plug GCPGC, Afternoon #201
 New sponsorship program
 Seminar “Philanthropy How To”

Administration:
Eliminate
Nothing

Increase
 Association Connection administration tasks
 Volunteer opportunities-high level community exposure

 Enforcement of board policy i.e. non attendance
 GCPGC PR for the organization and volunteer recognition
 Recruit nonmember volunteers for the board, committees, and individual projects which enhances project ownership
 Accountability vs. creative ownership jobs

Reduce
 Administrative tasks board members do

Create
 High level networking opportunities for smaller nonprofits
 Volunteer recognition
 Incentive for Association Connection performance
 Opportunities for value added dialog at board meetings

LEAVE A LEGACY®:

Eliminate
 Restrictions

Increase
 Professional advisor education on topics
 Explore existing venues
 Sponsorship dollars

Reduce
 Usage restrictions

Create
 LEAVE A LEGACY® SEAL team
 Effective examples of success

Next Steps

In order to ensure implementation of the strategic plan, GCPGC's Board of Directors should take the following steps:

1. Prioritize the ENDS Policies

2. Evaluate the Blue Ocean grids and determine which objectives and activities would best promote the ENDS policies, and should be pursued.

3. Set timelines and budgets for completing the activities/objectives.

4. Recruit and make assignments to individuals or small groups (taskforces) with responsibility for developing and implementing action plans.

5. Review progress at each board meeting and make course corrections as needed.

6. Update the plan on a regular basis.

7. Make the plan a key component of new board member orientation

8. Maintain flexibility

Conversation and Coffee Update
Conrad Thiede

NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN 2008!
First and foremost, thank yous are in order for Mike Murray and Sydney Schnurr. For the past 2 years, Mike and Sydney have served the GCPGC as members of the Conversations and Coffee planning committee. THANK YOU Mike and Sydney!

Conversations and Coffee co-chairs Heather Dare and Conrad Thiede are joined in 2008 by Patty Rosely of the Playhouse in the Park and Mindy Hammer of the American Cancer Society.

2008 Schedule:
May: Planned Giving Boot Camp: Case Studies from the Trenches by Jeff Lydenberg of PG Calc
June: Economics 101 with John Augustine (Learn more about the Fed rate, financial markets and much more)
July: TBD
August: Presentation by Daniel Hoffheimer

MORNING PICK-ME-UP:
Our morning programs continue in the fine tradition set back when they were called S.E.A.R.C.H. (I think the “C” and “H” stood for Coffee Hour.) Please remember that your first-time guests are FREE and that new GCPGC members are recognized with some cool ticket give-aways from the Cincinnati Zoo and/or Cincinnati Fire Museum. And, our morning spread of coffee and pastries is hard to beat, especially when you consider the wonderful and relaxed atmosphere of the Playhouse in the Park! We hope that you will not only continue to attend our Conversations and Coffee and utilize the forum for your own personal and organizational success, but that you will offer suggestions on what you would like to see presented in the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

Conversations & Coffee is a monthly program and forum that:
• Serves the planned giving needs for members and potential members, including those who are fundraisers for nonprofit institutions, consultants, and professional legal and financial advisors
• Hosts events that address a wide variety of planned giving topics, including developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts
• Serves the needs of all colleagues in the planned giving profession regardless of expertise, represented organization/business or primary focus of responsibilities
• Promotes the sharing of information between members and represented organizations
• Encourages networking, group dialogue and announcements
• Promotes the sponsor(s) of the monthly program
• Responds to current legal and newsworthy topics, as well as the continuing education needs of members
• Serves the GCPGC’s membership recruitment efforts
• Promotes the Leave A Legacy campaign and other GCPGC-sponsored/endorsed events and programs

HOW MANY DID YOU ATTEND IN 2007?

In 2007, the Conversations and Coffee team put together the following schedule of topics and presenters:
January: Annual Meeting and Planned Giving Resolutions
February: Supplementing Retirement Funds Through Planned Giving – Jeff Lydenberg
March: Planned Giving Readiness – Is Your Organization Positioned… – Barbara Wolf
April: Prospect Research – Becky Sittason and Craig Kahn
May: Life Insurance and Annuities for your Planned Giving Program – NY Life Group
June: Everything You Needed to Know About Investing…– John Augustine
July 18: Summer Siesta with GCPGC – C/C Committee
August 15: Succession Planning for Family Businesses
September 19: Planned Giving Telemarketing – Tim Logan
October 17: Don’t Be Afraid of the GCF… – Margaret Gaither & team
November 14: Planned Giving Committees That Work – Ron Christian
December 12: Character Counts in Planned Giving - Character Council

The mission of the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council is to increase the quantity and quality of planned giving in our community by providing a forum for education, training, and networking among various professional disciplines involved in gift planning, in accordance with The Model Standards of Practice for Charitable Gift Planners.

Next PG on the Run Scheduled, Expanding Scope
Jeffrey Stec, Esq.

After completing a second successful year in March, Planned Giving on the Run will begin its third season on September 16 with additional facilitators and material. After digesting feedback on the first two seasons, we've decided to add extra information on planned giving vehicles, drop the homework and conference calls, and welcome Andrea Herzig and Susan Kulick to create a three-way facilitation panel that will deepen the insights and broaden students' options in creating from scratch a simple planned giving program. Both Andrea and Susan come with decades of fund raising and planned giving experience at institutions of various sizes. Andrea is currently with the Girl Scouts wearing many hats in an effort to raise major and planned gifts, while Susan is a a fundraising consultant with many years of experience cultivating and closing major, planned, and endowment gifts for federated and faith based organizations. These two great additions to the team will make PG on the Run even better.

With just a break in December for holiday busy-ness, this tight six month course will conclude in time for students to showcase their new PG efforts in the annual Voices of Giving event. And by keeping the class interactive, students will again have the chance to think through their evolving program decisions in a supportive, group-coaching environment. Tell your AFP and other development friends to watch for email announcements, as this course comes with a GCPGC membership!

Colleague Connection
Whitney O'Neal

This piece is called the Colleague Connection. We hope it will help GCPGC members get to know one other better. We are asking the following 9 questions to various GCPGC members and profiling a member each newsletter. Feel free to e-mail Whitney O'Neal at woneal@villamadonna.net with your own answers to these questions.

Your name: Gary Monnier

Place where you work: Seven Hills School

Your professional title: Development Director

What is the best thing about working for your organization/company? The
people with whom I work, and the mission I serve.

What do you actually do at your organization/company? major gift fundraising; program management

What is the last book you read? The Prince of Providence

What can you absolutely not miss watching each week on TV? DavidLetterman, Rick Steves' Europe, and The McLaughlin Group

Do you have a favorite band? Chicago

What are your hobbies? golf, travel, music

Voices of Giving 2008
Margaret Gaither

You should have received your packet to nominate a donor for the 2008 Voices of Giving Award Ceremony. Voices of Giving honors donors who have either left a planned gift or have indicated that they have left a planned gift to a Greater Cincinnati non-profit organization or institution. This year’s event will be held at the Taft Museum of Art. Nominees should arrive by 4:45 P.M. to get their photographs taken. Cocktails are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the award ceremony will be held from 6:15 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. There is no charge for this event, but reservations are required.

Please contact Jim Friedman, chairperson at (513) 985-1524 or jffriedman@jfedcin.org for more information. The deadline for nominations is May 15, 2008.Committee members are Steve Hegge, Rene McPhedran, Mary Newman, and Melissa Robich.

Call for 2008 Voices of Giving Nominations
Jim Friedman

The LEAVE A LEGACY® Voices of Giving Committee invites you to submit nominations for the tenth annual Voices of Giving Awards ceremony. The Voices of Giving Awards ceremony pays tribute to those Greater Cincinnatians who, out of selflessness, generosity, and foresight, have chosen to make a bequest or planned gift to a favorite charitable organization. These individuals represent the true spirit of giving essential for enhancing the quality of life in our community, both now and in the future.

The Voices of Giving Awards ceremony was developed to support the efforts of local charitable organizations in marketing their planned giving program. It is an excellent way for you to recognize an individual who has made a planned gift to your organization. All nominees will be listed in the event program.

There is no cost to submit a nomination or to attend the awards ceremony. Please use the enclosed nomination form to submit the name of the donor you would like to nominate from your organization. Only one nomination per GCPGC member organization will be accepted. Individuals, couples, families, and posthumous nominations are welcome. And please have your nominee (or family member if you have a posthumous nomination) complete the consent form as well.

THE DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS MAY 15, 2008. Please mail, e-mail, or fax your forms to: Voices of Giving Awards, c/o Suzi Hoffman, Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council, 4100 Executive Park Drive #16, Cincinnati, OH 45241, FAX (513) 563-9743, or assocnnctn@aol.com.

You will be notified by June 1 if your nominee is selected for the 2008 Voices of Giving Awards. Honorees will be invited to the Voices of Giving reception on June 18, 2008, at the Taft Museum of Art in downtown Cincinnati. One honoree will be drawn from the pool to receive a $1,000 prize donation to be given in their name to their nominating organization. Honorees and nonprofit representatives are asked to arrive at 4:45 p.m. for pre-event photographs. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. (A press kit will be available for all honoree organizations after the event.)

If you would like a nomination form, please e-mail assocnnctn@aol.com to obtain a form.

For all other questions, please contact me at 513-985-1524 or jfriedman@jfedcin.org. We look forward to receiving your nomination.

Warm Regards,
Jim Friedman
2008 Voices of Giving Chair

Steve Hegge, Rene McPhedran, Mary Newman, Melissa A. Robich - 2008 Voices of Giving Committee

LEAVE A LEGACY ® is a program of the National Council on Planned Giving and the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council.

Welcome New GCPGC Members
Whitney O'Neal

Please join us in welcoming the following new members to the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council:

David L. Haft
Planned Giving Co-Chair
Lifespan, Inc.
1900 Fairgrove Avenue
Hamilton, OH 45011
(P) 513-785-1546
(F) 513-868-3249
e-mail:dhaft@zoomtown.com

Mark Spitz
9194 Withers Lane
Liberty Township, OH 45242
(P) 513-891-9583
e-mail: maspitz@zoomtown.com