Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) will honor Steve Clark and Gordon Smith with the Distinguished Service Award 2026. Steve and Gordon launched the CGP Mentor Program, strengthening relationships between experienced individuals and those early in the gift planning profession to learn and enhance skills that will help further their careers.

From a concept to a flourishing flagship program of CGP, their dedication to educating our young professionals has already had a profound effect on so many individuals and promises to impact the generations to come. Their leadership, integrity, and contributions to CGP and the field of charitable gift planning have made a lasting impact.

Presented on an as-merited basis, the CGP Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual, project team or CGP partners who have shown outstanding dedication to the charitable gift planning profession or field through a special project or effort. 

Steve Clark serves as senior philanthropic advisor at the University of Virginia, from which he received both his bachelor’s and law degrees. He previously served as assistant vice president for gift planning at Virginia Tech and as assistant vice chancellor for university development at North Carolina State University, in addition to several other gift planning roles at Virginia Tech. Before his career in advancement, Steve practiced law with firms in Richmond and Abingdon, Virginia. He is a former member of the CGP Board of Directors and is a current member and former chair of its Leadership Institute.

Gordon Smith was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Before going into planned giving, Gordon worked as a financial consultant, where he obtained experience in estate planning, business succession planning, insurance, and investment management. This provided a wonderful springboard to planned giving and the work he does for National Jewish Health, where he has been since September of 1995. 

Gordon completed a three-year term on the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Board of Directors in ’17. He has been a member of The Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable since 1995 and served first on the CPGR Board in 2001 and again in 2011. He is a frequent speaker for CPGR, at the National Conference for CGP along with various Planned Giving Councils around the country. In 2017 Gordon started a sideline consulting business, Guiding Philanthropic Services, LLC, working with small and mid-size nonprofits on increasing long term success by building their individual, non-cash giving program. 

Together, Steve and Gordon have created a program that provides lasting value and long-term impact upon the charitable gift planning profession and CGP. Results of their efforts serve as a standard for other projects or programs that aim to further the pipeline for gift planning professionals. Steve Clark and Gordon Smith will be honored during the official award ceremonies at CGP Conference in New Orleans this October. 

About CGP:
The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is the leading organization setting standards for charitable gift planners. We bring members together to learn, connect and advocate. We provide education and resources that enrich and advance careers. We connect colleagues at all levels through our national network—including those who defined the field. We exist to serve our distinguished profession and bring to life the art and science of charitable gift planning.