Over the past several months, volunteers on the CGP Conference Committee have worked together to curate sessions and topics to offer attendees the latest professional development and educational opportunities at CGP Conference. Members of the Conference Committee have developed specialized tracks tailored for different sectors of the planned giving community.

Jennifer Yelovina, CFRE, CAP®, the Senior Director of Gift Planning and Principal Gifts at Western Michigan University, created a track for individuals who hold leadership positions or manage gift planning teams. In this track, learn practical skills and strategies to help you empower your team for greater results. 

As a manager of a fundraising team, I’m always looking for ways to elevate my team’s performance and drive greater success. From advocating for more resources for your program to creating inspiring metrics and coaching your team for greater achievement, the upcoming NACGP conference offers a series of sessions designed specifically to help you and your team excel. 

If you manage a fundraising team or a gift planning program, here are my recommendations for sessions you won’t want to miss:

AI for Impact
As a leader and manager, understanding the transformative potential of AI in charitable gift planning will be key to driving your program forward and helping your team leverage AI responsibly. In this pre-conference session, you’ll learn from leading experts about current applications and the importance of ethical AI applications, ensuring responsible use of technology in managing donor data and privacy. Additionally, hands-on workshops offer practical skills in implementing AI tools, enabling managers to apply these innovations directly to their fundraising strategies. 

Making the Planned Giving Case to Management: A Discussion with the Chief Philanthropy Officer
As a leader, you may need to advocate for greater resources and staffing for your gift planning program. Stacy Sulman and Aaron Westfall will help unlock the secret to gaining buy-in for planned giving programs. This interactive session will explore the business case for planned giving and its critical role in successful campaigns. Gain insights from experienced leaders and develop strategies to elevate planned giving in your organization.

I'm in Charge...Now What?
Transitioning from a skilled fundraiser to a manager can be challenging. In this session, two seasoned fundraisers, Valerie Sherman and Carrie Mueller, offer essential tools for new managers to improve communication, decision-making, and team development. With a focus on managing staff who raise major and planned gifts, this session will help you inspire your team to thrive.

Coaching Major Gift Officers and Other Staff: Growing Colleagues for Greater Success
Are you struggling to inspire your colleagues to take an interest in planned giving? Steve Clark will share research-backed tactics for coaching major gift officers and other fundraising staff to enhance collaboration with gift planning. This session will help you arm your team with the skills they need to introduce key concepts and ideas that will lead to success.

Metrics with Meaning
The ability to define meaningful fundraising metrics for your team is so important to effective management and program success.  In this session, Anne Morgan and Katherine Goliver will transform performance metrics from a source of stress into a tool for motivation and collaboration. Discover practical tips for using metrics to inspire your fundraising team, ensuring accountability and success.

Register for CGP Conference to attend these insightful sessions and empower your fundraising team to achieve greater success. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry experts and connect with gift planning peers dedicated to advancing the field of fundraising. 
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Meet Jennifer Yelovina, CFRE, CAP®:
Jennifer Yelovina, CFRE, CAP®, is Senior Director, Gift Planning and Principal Gifts at Western Michigan University. Jennifer joined the WMU Advancement team as the Senior Director of Gift Planning in 2022. She brings more than 20 years of major and planned gift experience as a manager and a frontline fundraiser. Prior to reestablishing the Office of Gift Planning at WMU, Jennifer launched the Planned Giving program for a regional hospital system, providing leadership and support for foundation affiliates throughout the state of Michigan and building a network of professional advisors throughout the region. Jennifer is the past President and the former chair of the Program and Nomination Committees for the Western Michigan Planned Giving Group, is a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and the American Council on Gift Annuities. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.