CGP Conference 2026 is designed to help you reach your goals, explore new strategies and go deeper into the areas you need to grow. Sessions are organized into seven conference tracks designed to encourage attendees to select sessions across topics, experience levels and formats. 

Every program thrives when a strong pipeline and disciplined follow-through work together. Some organizations leave revenue on the table due to lapses in donor communications while others struggle to execute a complex gift true to the donor's intent. The Expanding the Pipeline track explores the latest gift strategies and trends to build your donor base. On the other hand, the Maximizing Impact track offers insights into supporting donors' wishes and navigating potential roadblocks. 

Most attendees start wherever their need is more urgent and build the remainder of their schedule from there. Most attendees end up in both by the end of the conference because eventually, the donor you haven't met yet becomes the donor whose wishes you're responsible for keeping.

Continue reading for details on these tracks to help you create an agenda best suited for your career goals.  

Expanding the Pipeline: Grow Your Community

Build your prospective supporter base and communicate with them more persuasively by understanding the latest data on donor demographics and gift strategies shaping the industry. Reach new prospects using messaging that reflects how those prospects actually respond today rather than five years ago. 

This track is suited for:

• Financial Planners or Wealth Advisors who leverage the latest research and data to structure gifts for measurable results.

• Major Gift Officers or Development Professionals diversifying their donor base by evaluating the latest demographics and trends.  

• Estate Administrators and Consultants responsible for the long-term sustainability of secure gifts through legacy giving.

Sessions in this track include:

The Last Tithe: Reframing Planned Giving as Lifelong Stewardship with Dominique Isaac Grate
Learn how culturally meaningful language can reduce barriers to legacy commitments and expand participation among long-time supporters

Outlast the Legacy Gap: Spouses and Gen-X Successors with Robyn Furness-Fallin and Gary Laermer
Explore demographic realities, the growing influence of women and Gen X donors, and relationship-centered approaches that build durable philanthropic partnerships across generations.

How to Navigate the Four Taboo Subjects of Money, Death, Religion, and Politics, in Donor Meetings with Gordon Smith and Bandy Bertram 
Attend a thought-provoking discussion to highlight ways fundraisers might approach these issues with their donors given the organizations they represent and how the situation and discussion may change over time.

Moving the Needle in Legacy Giving: Practical Tools from Data and Research with Andrea McFarling
Grounded in a case study approach, the session highlights practical tools that organizations of any size can implement immediately.

Rooted in Legacy: Growing Planned Gifts in the African American Community with Tamisha Keith
Learn practical strategies for connecting legacy planning to donor values, balancing family and charitable goals, and sustaining institutions that advance equity and opportunity.

Beyond Beads: Shifting the Focus to Gifts of Noncash Assets with Jackie W. Franey and Lynn Ierardi
This interactive session goes beyond theory to equip fundraisers and allied professionals with the tools, language, and confidence needed to build an organizational culture that embraces non-cash asset giving. 

Maximizing Impact: The Donor’s Full Potential

Discover donors’ or clients’ goals and concerns and solve problems with philanthropic options. Attend sessions that cover strategies to navigate the roadblock nobody anticipated, the noncash asset that needs careful structuring or the conversation that requires more than a script to navigate.

This track is best for:

• Fundraisers and wealth advisors searching for guidance and additional resources for ensuring a client’s gift.

• Major Gift Officers or Development Professionals looking to enhance their skills to navigate difficult donor conversations.

• Attendees who want additional insight to leverage non-cash gifts.

Sessions in this track include:

Thinking Beyond Immediate Cash and Expanding Donor Possibilities with Sam Samuels and Valerie Sherman
Talk through several real-life blended gift case studies, inviting audience participation and discussing lessons learned.

Giving Away the Farm:  Special Considerations with Gifts of Farmland with Kara O’Connor
Through case studies and real-world examples, this session will shine a light on the key attributes of prospective farmland donors, best practices in crafting a farmland donation agreement, and special considerations that can make farmland donations more challenging, and also more rewarding, than other types of present and planned gifts. 

The Power Duo — Major + Planned Gift Wins with Lauren Michel and Elise Raynal
Through stories that highlight both smooth paths and unexpected obstacles, attendees will learn how collaboration, donor listening, and cross‑disciplinary strategy turn early conversations into significant current and legacy commitments.

From Property to Purpose: Real Estate Gift Solutions for Today with Christa Lewis and Simon Williams
Explore how real estate gifts can provide solutions for donors today through important considerations and helpful resources you can use with your donors and your organization.

CGP Conference 2026

Build your agenda based on current challenges, career goals or professional expertise. Find confidence to navigate complex gifts and learn the necessary frameworks and strategies to overcome roadblocks.

Visit the CGP Conference 2026 website below to register and explore the agenda, sessions, track descriptions and more. Reference the CGP Track Series for guidance on selecting the sessions that will transform your career.   

Early-bird registration closes on August 28. Map your agenda and lock in your rate before it's too late. 

CGP CONFERENCE 2026