2025 Fellowship Applications are closed.
Application Deadline: Monday, April 1, 2025
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Click Here to be added to our contact list.
Who should apply?
We are looking for applicants who are:
- Considered to be diverse by ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation AND currently working, consulting or volunteering for a nonprofit OR:
- Affiliated in planned giving as a consultant or professional advisor working in a variety of legal and financial settings AND someone whose life work is helping others leave a legacy through a planned gift to the charities they
Why you should apply?
Do you want to increase your knowledge of planned giving? Have a passion for improving our world through charitable endeavors? Want to network with helpful colleagues and contacts for exchanging ideas, services, and friendly professional support? If you answered yes to these questions, then the GCPGC is the right place for you!
The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council, with over 100 members, is a professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts. Members include persons who raise funds for nonprofit institutions, consultants, and professional advisors who work in a variety of legal and financial settings. GCPGC sponsors monthly educational and networking meetings, virtual seminars, after work socials and the annual Voices of Giving event that honors planned giving donors.
In 2016, GCPGC launched the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative in partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of Greater Cincinnati to foster more diversity in the planned giving field. GCPGC followed in the footsteps of AFP’s New Faces in Fundraising program that was launched in 2013.
Planned giving is essential to an organization’s strategy to secure and ensure their future. Fundraisers are encouraged to include planned giving as a component in their fundraising repertoire.
The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council (GCPGC) is pleased to be entering its eighth year of the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative in Planned Giving Program to foster more diversity in the fundraising profession. We would like to offer you the opportunity to enhance your fundraising skills and invite you to apply to participate in Diversity and Inclusion Initiative in Planned Giving.
To broaden the ranks of volunteer and professional fundraisers who are knowledgeable about planned and legacy giving, we are seeking individuals from all historically marginalized communities, especially invite members of the BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and disability communities, to apply to be a Diversity Fellow.
We offer 3 fellowships to Planned Giving on the Run, our course on the fundamentals of planned giving, and 7 memberships to GCPGC.
Planned Giving on the Run is a comprehensive planned giving start-up with turn-key simplicity. Veteran facilitators, mentors and expert speakers convey the nuts and bolts of planned giving in 6 monthly, 2-hour sessions beginning in September. Click Here to view the Planned Giving on the Run web page.
Membership in GCPGC provides unlimited access to all educational and social programs including Conversation & Coffee monthly educational programs, virtual seminars, networking events, Voices of Giving- the annual community-wide celebration of planned giving donors and more.
Questions:
Contact Chair
Raynal Moore at rmoore@prokids.org
2025 Award Announcement
Congratulations to our 2025 Diversity & Inclusion Initiative Fellows!
Vanessa Kurtzer has a natural ability to connect with High School students and young adults. Vanessa is passionate in partnering with youth and helping them to see their full potential to thrive in either college, career or life. Outside of work, she enjoys being outside in nature and spending time with family.
“I am humbled and excited to receive the fellowship and the GCPGC membership to continue to learn more about fundraising and bringing a diverse group of donors to CSF. I look forward to learning and growing in a field that allows me make a difference in young peoples lives in education and beyond.”
D’Anté McNeal is an experienced Arts Administrator with over nine years in Production and Development across the country. Currently, D’Anté is the Special Projects Coordinator for Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and uses his skills to amplify the contributions of the arts in the Greater Cincinnati area. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and Colorado State University with a Bachelors of Music in Music Industry Studies and a Master of Arts in Arts Leadership and Cultural Management, D’Anté is passionate about using the arts as a tool to connect and strengthen communities.
In addition to his professional endeavors, D’Anté serves as Board Chair of Alpenglow Music Program, whose mission is to provide affordable and flexible music education to students of all ages and skill levels.
“It is truly a feat of strength that programs like the Planned Giving on the Run Fellowship are able to empower and nurture those in the midst of their development career. With my career shift into philanthropy, I am deeply appreciative to learn from veteran facilitators and mentors while building fellowship with a cohort of administrators like myself. Receiving this fellowship and membership to the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council will afford me the knowledge to help generations of people establish and protect their legacy.”
Jenna Montes is a bold arts fundraiser, performer, and advocate dedicated to breaking down barriers and connecting communities through the power of music. She currently serves as the Individual Giving Manager for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops, where she combines her passion for music with her expertise in fundraising, building meaningful relationships between donors and causes that inspire them. Jenna holds an M.A. in Arts Administration from Florida State University, where she gained hands-on experience as a Marketing Associate for the College of Music, and a B.M. in Horn Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. A champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Jenna co-founded the Jacobs DEI Student Task Force and the CSO’s Affinity Group Mosaic, driving initiatives to foster an inclusive culture and expand representation within the arts.
“I am honored to receive the GCPGC fellowship and membership, and looking forward to diving into the world of planned giving. I’ve been inspired by donors in my portfolio who are both annual and legacy givers, and I’m eager to learn all there is to know about making your mark with philanthropy. This program will equip me with the tools to better serve my donors and my community, as there are many Latinos with a heart for giving but without the guidance on how to leave their legacy.”