With approval to proceed we would recommend that the staff member responsible for the program join the Canadian Association of Gift Planners . CAGP has a chapters across Canada and attending local chapter seminars/education events will both increase your knowledge base and connect you with other individuals and organizations doing similar work.
We would recommend that a small core team of people be assembled as the first step in the establishment of your estate giving committee. The team should include one or two members from the Board, a long term loyal donor, a local general practice or estates lawyer and your bank’s account manager. Each would bring a professional perspective about estate giving from a donor’s perspective.
You may also wish to consider subscribing to Canadian planning giving periodicals/podcasts (both free and by subscription) published by Hilborn.
With basic knowledge you should considering attending CAGP’s one day Gift Planning Fundamentals seminar which provides a good base knowledge. For in-depth knowledge (assuming available time and budget) consider attending “Original” Gift Planning Course which is one of the longest running (since 1990) and respected courses on philanthropy in Canada.
Have questions or want to discuss setting up an Estate Giving Program? Click here to request assistance from MAS.
Coming up next: Launching an Estate Giving Program
