Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) will induct Bryan K. Clontz into the CGP Hall of Fame. Bryan K. Clontz, Ph.D., CFP^®, CLU^®, ChFC^®, CAP^®, RICP^®, CBP, ChSNC^®, CEPA^®, AEP^® Distinguished, is recognized for his decades of leadership in advancing charitable gift annuities and non-cash assets.

The Hall of Fame Award, CGP’s highest honor, recognizes those whose life's work has impacted charitable gift planning. Their work advances the mission of CGP and brings credit to all the professions engaged in charitable planning.

Bryan is the founder and president of Charitable Solutions, LLC, specializing in noncash asset receipt and liquidation, gift annuity risk management audits, and life insurance gift appraisals/audits. He currently serves as senior partner of Ekstrom Alley Clontz, a community foundation management consulting firm. 

Bryan has founded two national donor advised funds focusing on non-cash assets generally and S-corp/UBIT transactions, the Dechomai Foundation, Inc. (2003) and the Dechomai Asset Trust (2007). And, he is the founder of The Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc. (2010), a national charity allowing employers to create emergency assistance and disaster relief funds for global employees.

He has given more than 2,000 presentations on charitable gift planning and community foundation topics, been published in an international insurance textbook and a book Charitable Gifts of Noncash Assets (3rd Edition); and written more than two dozen articles in financial services and planned giving journals, including a planned giving manual entitled Just Add Water. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Kiplingers Personal Finance, Bloomberg Wealth, and has written over two dozen articles as a monthly columnist on charitable tax issues for Forbes.

Currently, he serves on the serves on the editorial board of the Planned Giving Design Center (2000-current), the advisory board for the American College’s Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation (2001-current), the American Council on Gift Annuities’ Rate Recommendation Committee (2003-2010) and Research Committee (2003-current) and the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners board (2007-2009) and Leadership Institute (2016-current). He served as the first Leon Levy Fellow in Philanthropy at The American College for Financial Services in 2016-2017. In 2022, he was inducted into the National Association of Estate Planning Councils Hall of Fame. He currently serves as the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Gift Planning for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. Bryan provides charities with monthly free webinars including over 60 charitable and tax topics in a YouTube library.

He received a bachelor’s of science in business administration from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC; a master’s degree in risk management and insurance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA; a master’s degree in financial services as well as a Ph.D. in retirement and financial planning from The American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, PA (Dissertation:  Charitable Gift Annuity Solvency Regulation). He has earned the following designations: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, Accredited Estate Planner (Distinguished), Retirement Income Certified Professional, Certified Bitcoin Professional, Certified Exit Planning Advisor and Chartered Special Needs Consultant.

In the decade prior to founding Charitable Solutions, LLC, he served as the director of planned giving for the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, national director of planned giving for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and then as vice president of advancement at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, In all those positions, he worked with HNW and UHNW individuals and families on complex charitable plans. He also was a partner in a NAPFA-registered fee-only financial planning firm, Tombs Moody & Clontz, from 1995-2003.

He has served as a graduate adjunct professor for both personal financial planning and life insurance in the Department of Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University. 

Bryan’s comprehensive technical expertise and research continue to lead the charitable gift planning profession forward. Bryan will be inducted into the CGP Hall of Fame at CGP Conference 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Nominations for the Hall of Fame Award 2027 will open in June. Learn more about the CGP Awards, previous winners, and how to nominate or apply at charitablegiftplanners.org/awards.

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.

Indianapolis, IN -- Brianne Kilpatrick is honored as the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) Rising Star for 2026. In her role as Associate Director of Gift Planning at NYU Langone Health, Brianne’s strategic marketing efforts, community engagement and meaningful approach to donor stewardship demonstrate her dedication and promise to the field. 

The CGP Rising Star Award recognizes the talent and potential of a newcomer to the field of charitable gift planning. Understanding that the work of charitable gift planning is ever-changing and expanding, this award encourages recipients to consider a lifelong pursuit of the field and continue active membership in their local councils and the national association.

Since entering the profession, Brianne has helped build and grow planned giving programs, led educational programs for fundraising professionals, and become a trusted resource on charitable gift planning and estate administration. She enjoys sharing practical knowledge, mentoring colleagues, and finding new ways to strengthen the field.

As Associate Director, she works with donors to create meaningful charitable legacies while advancing one of the nation's leading academic medical centers. Beyond her work at NYU Langone, Brianne is an active volunteer with the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY). She earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation and is currently pursuing her Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) certification. 

“I am honored to be recognized as a Rising Star and remain committed to helping donors create lasting philanthropic impact while advancing the future of charitable gift planning,” says Brianne.

Her passion for making planned giving more accessible through education, collaboration, and innovative fundraising strategies exhibits her continued promise to the field. Brianne will be recognized at CGP Conference 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, in October. 

Nominations for the Rising Star Award 2027 will open in June. Learn more about the CGP Awards, previous winners, and how to nominate or apply at charitablegiftplanners.org/awards.

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.

Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) has selected the Planned Giving Council of Middle Tennessee as Council of the Year 2026. Through its comprehensive programming, the council demonstrates its commitment to advancing charitable gift planning.

The Council of the Year award honors a CGP council that demonstrates its commitment to gift planning. The award honors the community impact, member stewardship, professional development opportunities, and other areas of contribution to the field of gift planning.

The nominating committee recognizes the Planned Giving Council of Middle Tennessee’s engaging monthly programming, consistent membership growth, and support of the gift planning community. Of special note is their dedication to re-establishing the council’s 501(c)(3) status and reinstating as an independent CGP council.

The Planned Giving Council of Middle Tennessee exists to increase the quality and quantity of charitable planned gifts by serving as the voice and professional resource for the gift planning community in Middle Tennessee. Their members represent a cross section of disciplines including those who work for not-for-profit organizations, firms that support the planned giving efforts of these organizations, and other allied professionals. The council will be recognized at CGP Conference 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, in October. 

Nominations for the Council of the Year 2027 will open in June 2027. Learn more about the CGP Awards, previous winners and how to nominate or apply at https://charitablegiftplanners.org/awards.

About CGP:
The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is the leading organization 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.