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  • Building a Planned Giving Program: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Fundraisers

    • 09/24/2026
    • 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
    • Calvary Cemetery and Funeral Center Reception Room | 7100 Verner Avenue, Citrus Heights, CA 95621
    • 26
    Register
    About the Program

    This educational session equips development professionals with the tools and confidence to launch or grow a planned giving program at their organization. Whether starting from scratch or strengthening an existing effort, attendees will learn the core gift types (bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, beneficiary designations, and more) alongside the five building blocks of a successful program: policy and governance (gift acceptance policies, valuation practices, board buy-in), infrastructure (CRM systems, professional partners, staffing), marketing and outreach (case for support, donor-facing materials, sample bequest language), cultivation and solicitation (prospect identification, donor conversations, the ask, collaboration with major gift officers), and stewardship (legacy societies, recognition, ongoing communication).

    The session also addresses common barriers small and mid-sized organizations face — limited capacity, board buy-in, and donor hesitancy — with practical, low-cost strategies to overcome them. Participants will leave with a clear framework for launching or growing their program.

     Meet Our Presenter



    Becky Thompson

    Deputy Director of Planned Giving

    UC Berkeley


    Becky Thompson is a philanthropy leader with 30 years of progressive fundraising leadership across healthcare and higher education. She currently serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Gift Planning at UC Berkeley, where she oversees a team of five gift planning officers and leads strategy and pipeline development for the university's planned giving program.

    Prior to joining Berkeley, Becky served as Philanthropy Executive, Gift Planning for Sutter Health Philanthropy, where she oversaw the gift planning program for nine hospitals, two medical groups, and Sutter Care at Home. Her career also includes leadership roles as Chief Philanthropy Officer at Mercy Foundation, Associate Vice President for Development at California State University, Sacramento and development positions at Northern Arizona University and San Francisco State University.

    Becky has completed coursework toward her Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) designation and is a member and Past President of the Planned Giving Forum of Greater Sacramento, a board member of the Sacramento Estate Planning Council, and a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

    Member Registration – $35.00

    Non-Member Registration – $50.00

    Lunch is included

    Show details

Older/Archived Programs: Members: Log in to access past program materials for events marked with *

2024 Programs

09/26/2024: Lessons from History: Reviewing Past Planned Gifts to Influence Future Successes with Brian Casey and Carrick Davis, U.C. Davis
07/25/2024: P.I.V.O.T. to Turn Planned Gift Inquiries into Planned Gifts with Karen Piel & Delinda Rood
05/23/2024: Data-Informed Gift Planning: Using Research to Help Donors and Improve Your Program with Joe Bull
04/25/2024: Who Can You Trust to be Your Trustee? Trust Department & Private Fiduciary Panel with Tammi Griswold, Alysia Corell and Walcott & Hartin
04/04/2024: Weaving Planned Giving Into Your Donor Conversations with Melanie J. Norton, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, US Bank
02/15/2024: Gift Acceptance Policies: A Call to Action! with Michael Davis, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, U.S. Bank

2023 Programs

12/21/2023: Annual Meeting and Holiday Mixer
10/19/2023: Negotiating for Success 2.0 with Michael T. Colatrella, Jr., McGeorge School of Law
09/21/2023: Philanthropy Always Sounds Like Someone Else: A Portrait of High Net Worth Donors of Color with Hali Lee, Radiant Strategies
08/17/2023: Empowering Non-Profits: Creative Strategies for Prospect Research and Planned Giving with Brian Casey, Carrick Davis, and Becky Cuneo, UC Davis
06/15/2023: Creating Donor Momentum with Sequential Marketing for Planned Gifts and Major Gifts of Assets with Andy Ragone, CGPP and Kimberly Jetton, Pleiades Nonprofit Advisors
05/18/2023: 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's with Alexandra Castillo-Weisgerber, LCSW, Alzheimer’s Association, Northern California & Northern Nevada Chapter
03/16/2023: Demystifying Estate Planning – Exploring the Myths and Realities of Proper Planning with Rebecca A. Gardner, HMS Law Group LLP
02/16/2023: Knives out! What You Need to Know About Trust and Estate Disputes with Jeff Galvin and Jake Smite, Downey Brand LLP

2022 Programs

11/17/2022: Annual Member Meeting with Michael T. Colatrella, Jr., McGeorge School of Law
10/20/2022: Making a Mark: How Donors Can Use Their Replacement Plans to Create a Charitable Legacy with Monika Reyes
09/15/2022: Planned Giving 101 Workshop with Craig Wruck
08/18/2022: Friends for Life: Stewarding Planned Gifts with Lisa M. Chmiola, M.S., CFRE ()*
04/21/2022: The Top Three Ways to Use Life Insurance in Charitable Planning with Paul M. Caspersen, CFP, MS, AEP ()*
03/17/2022: Doing DAFs Right & Why You Should be Leveraging DAFs to Achieve Long-Term Fundraising Success with David Russo and Lisa Barr ()*
02/17/2022: Family Foundations: The Next Generation with Vivian Long, Executive Director, Long Family Foundation ()*

2021 Programs

11/18/2021: CFRE, CSPG, CAP Fundraising Certifications: What's the Difference and What's Right for Me? A panel discussion
10/21/2021: Inside the Mind of the Planned Giving Donor: What Neuroimaging and Experimental Research Reveal About Donor Motivations
09/16/2021: Incorporating Planned Giving in your Year-end Giving Program
08/19/2021: The Future for Social Justice and Philanthropy
06/17/2021: Strengthening Your Virtual Ask
05/20/2021: Utilizing Transitions and Building Donor Understanding
04/15/2021: Qualification Essentials and the Use of Probing Questions
03/18/2021: Understanding Trends and Building Confidence

Note: Current Members can log-in to access past program materials.

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© 2025 ​Planned Giving Forum of Greater Sacramento
Elk Grove, CA 95624