Conversational Gift Planning, offered by the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, is a multi-week educational course led by Dan Shephard. This program will equip participants with the fundamental tools to elevate their donor relationships. Participate in live education to integrate practical skills into more meaningful and productive conversations.
You must earn the right to ask.
Dan will guide participants through The Four Decisions every donor makes to learn the skills of donor-participatory fundraising.
Why: Learn your donor’s gift motivation.
What: Determine a promising gift purpose.
How: Identify life events, assets and other considerations for the gift.
Will You: Identify possible gift strategies to share with your donor.
Register now for the February session of Conversational Gift Planning. The next session will be in April. Seats are limited! Register before January 31 to save your spot.
The cost of the program is $995 for CGP members and $1,195 for non-members. CFRE credit is available for registrants. Full participation in Conversational Gift Planning is applicable for nine credit hours in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
The course will help you learn how to:
- Identify a promising possible donor for a charitable gift annuity or a gift of an appreciated asset.
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Describe the identified gift plan to that possible donor in conversational language.
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Find your distinctive voice in conversational gift planning through realistic practice.
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Identify giftable assets.
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Learn about the planned sale of a private business before it’s too late.
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Start a conversation about providing income for retirement.
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Introduce tax advantages that can influence gift amount.
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Engage others who should be involved in gift planning (personal and professional).
2025 Sessions:
Wednesdays, February 5, 12, 19
Wednesdays, April 2, 9, 16
Thursdays, September 11, 18, 25
Join the interest list here to be the first to learn more about registration opportunities.
Meet Dan Shephard
Dan Shephard is the creator of The Four Decisions and of Interactive Case Studies, the learning tools used in this training program. He developed the tools and techniques used in the seminar during a three-decade career as a fundraising professional with experience in the performing arts and higher education.
Over the past decade, Dan has taught conversational gift planning to hundreds of fundraising professionals at such institutions as Columbia University, the Smithsonian Institution, Florida International University, Rochester Institute of Technology, the World Wildlife Fund, and many others.
