Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 CGP Conference Scholarship. The CGP Conference scholarship program was established to offer educational opportunities to fundraising and charitable gift planning professionals. 

These scholarships would not be possible without the generosity and support of our donors. 

David Disend and 馬奔 Scholarship Fund

Kate Leighton-Colburn - Development and Communications Director, Holland Museum

George L. Wolff Memorial Scholarship Fund

Rose Garcia - Director of Development, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston 
Tim Peters- Director of Planned Giving, Union Rescue Mission

Hibel Family Scholarship Fund

Amrita Barmadat - Planned Giving Coordinator, American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science 
Samantha Johnson - Development Associate, Planned Giving and Major Gifts, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 
Catherine Nolte - Philanthropy Associate, Northwestern Memorial Foundation

Robert F. Sharpe, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund

Matthew Lyons - Director of Development, UnityPoint Health-Des Moines Foundation

National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Scholarship Fund

Shelly Azar - Director, Legacy Giving, Jewish Federation of St. Louis 
Cassie Cairnes - Director of Impact and Advocacy, Cedar Lake Foundation Inc.
Kalisha Colbert - Planned Giving Manager, Maryland Public Television 
Gregory Fabiano - Legacy Giving Officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness 
Shaunna Graf  
Vicky Hopper - Planned Giving Director, Utah Valley University 
Heather Kemper - Director of Advancement, Miriam School and Learning Center 
LB Lyons - Vice President for Advancement, Grand View University 
Jill McIlroy - Donor Experience Advisor, Arizona Community Foundation 
Danielle Pierleoni - Legacy and Leadership Giving Manager, Heritage Christian Services 
Kate Rhodes - Senior Officer of Strategic Philanthropy & Planned Giving Marketing, International Rescue Committee 
Kellie Schmidtke - Director of Institutional Advancement, Hanahau'oli School 
Jessie Whitish - Director of Development, Neighborhood House

Each scholarship includes registration to CGP Conference and a one-year CGP membership. The next scholarship application period will open in June 2026. 

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) will induct Philip M. Purcell into the CGP Hall of Fame. Philip is recognized for his contributions to advancing the field of gift planning through his strategic knowledge sharing, educational leadership and advocacy. He has been instrumental in the progress of philanthropy, elevating professional standards across the industry. 

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.

Phil has enjoyed a 40-year career in planned giving and as counsel to nonprofits. He currently serves as the Director of Planned Giving for the Central Territory of The Salvation Army. In this role, he is the directional leader of over thirty planned giving officers in eleven states who close $80-90 million in planned gifts each year. He has held leadership planned giving roles in public and private higher education, a hospital foundation, an international Catholic ministry, and a leading community foundation.

Phil has been married to Beth (Dietzen) for 38 years. Beth is a retired special needs middle school teacher. They are the proud parents of two sons, Ben (Jenny) and Alex, who are both in education.

Phil has served as counsel on legal and fundraising matters to community foundations and all types of nonprofits throughout the U.S. for 40 years. He is a Senior Consultant for the Heaton Smith Group, a national legacy planning firm, for 15 years. He is Editor for Planned Giving Today, a monthly national publication, for six years, and is on the editorial board of Giving USA. Phil has written chapters and articles, and been interviewed for articles, appearing in the Planned Giving Design Center, The Journal of Gift Planning, CASE Currents, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Charitable Gifts of Noncash Assets, and other publications. He has spoken at hundreds of national, local, and organizational conferences, seminars, and webinars over his career, including professional continuing education programs. Phil has served as counsel and expert witness in court cases involving nonprofit organizations and philanthropy.

Phil has designed and teaches separate courses on the law of nonprofit organizations and the law of philanthropy for 21 years at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He has taught the planned gift fundraising course for the Fundraising School (TFRS) of the Lilly School of Philanthropy for 26 years, including design and annual updates of the course. Phil created the first online planned giving course for TFRS. He has designed and teaches a course on the law of nonprofit organizations for 15 years for the master's degree program of the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy, and he created the first online version for this course. Phil teaches for the American Institute of Philanthropic Studies Certified Specialist in Planned Giving at California State University Long Beach for six years.

Phil is a licensed attorney and member of the American and Indiana State Bar Associations. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association's Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Group (Real Property, Trust and Estate Section) and was a member of the Tax-Exempt Organization Advisory Council for the Internal Revenue Service (Great Lakes states). Phil is the current president of the board of directors of the American Council on Gift Annuities. Formerly he served on the board of directors of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (past secretary), Planned Giving Council of Indiana (past president), and Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana (past president). He is a member and past chair of the Leadership Institute of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.

Phil received the 2021 Gift Leader Award by Crescendo and 2011 Fundraiser of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana.

Education. Phil received his B.A. degree from Wabash College, M.P.A. degree from Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and J.D. degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. He was a Truman Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Alpha Alpha.

Phil has been instrumental in the progress of philanthropy, elevating professional standards through mentorship, advocacy, and knowledge sharing across the gift planning community. He will be inducted into the CGP Hall of Fame at CGP Conference 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

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) will induct Joe Bull into the CGP Hall of Fame. Joe, the principal counsel and founder of Philanthropy Advisory Counsel, LLC, has significantly impacted philanthropy and countless organizations and professionals nationwide with his leadership, technical expertise and dedication to the field of gift planning.

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.

His influence spans across decades and organizations. Joe received a BS in Business Administration, an MA and a JD from The Ohio State University and is admitted to the bar in Ohio and North Carolina. Earlier in his career, Joe served The Ohio State University for 16 years, primarily as Director of Planned Giving, before taking on leadership roles with the Worldwide Office of The Nature Conservancy. He later served in executive roles with Duke and North Carolina State Universities, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Wilmington College, and Carnegie Mellon University. 

Joe has unparalleled philanthropic leadership experience — he is only the second person to have held the top leadership positions at both CGP (Board Chair, 2005) and the American Council on Gift Annuities (President, 2021-24). Additionally, Joe served as President of the Central Ohio and North Carolina Planned Giving Councils

Beyond his leadership experience, Joe has played a pivotal role in advancing the field of gift planning. As a faculty member at the College of William and Mary's National Planned Giving Institute and service on editorial advisory boards for Planned Giving Today and Planned Giving Design Center, Joe has helped shape how the next generation of philanthropic professionals approaches their work. Most recently, he was chair of CGP's Task Force to develop guidelines for evaluating and assessing planned gift programs and planned giving professionals. 

A nationally recognized speaker and author on philanthropic issues, Joe has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Trusts & Estates, Planned Giving Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Joe's leadership, technical expertise and dedication to philanthropy have significantly impacted the gift planning industry and countless organizations and professionals nationwide. Joe will be inducted into the CGP Hall of Fame at CGP Conference 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

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.

Indianapolis, IN -- Abigail Oduol, CFRE, CAP, has been named the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) Rising Star for 2025. As Senior Development Officer and Planned Gifts Officer at Earthjustice, Abigail is recognized for her thought leadership, innovative approach to planned giving, and ongoing commitment to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the profession and the broader philanthropic community.

The Rising Star award recognizes the talent and potential of an emerging leader in the field of charitable gift planning. The award celebrates the initiative, innovation, leadership and contribution of the Rising Star. 

Abigail holds a Master's degree in Transformational Urban Leadership and spent a year and a half studying at St. Paul's University in Kenya. Her diverse background as an autism behavior therapist, refugee resettlement officer, and community-centric fundraiser allows her to reimagine philanthropy. At Earthjustice, Abigail launched and facilitated organization-wide initiatives aimed at supporting parents in the workplace, advancing equity for Black staff members, and enhancing collaboration across departments. Her innovative strategies serve donors and communities where they are today while meeting the challenges of the future. 

"I am passionate about bridging pop culture to fundraising to help fundraisers and supporters better understand how interconnected our worlds are and what is possible in gift planning," Abigail says.

Abigail is a former member of the CGP DEI committee and currently serves on the CGP Conference Visioning Committee and the SoCal CGP Program chair. Her writing has been featured on the Community Centric Fundraising (CCF) Hub and Candid in community-centric fundraising, donor-advised funds and organizational change.

A well-respected speaker, Abigail has presented at various events, including CGP Conference, SoCal CGP, Minnesota Planned Giving Conference, Seattle Planned Giving Day, Northern California Planned Giving Conference, AFP ICON, AADO – CASE, APRA, CCF Family Reunion, Ethical Nonprofit Summit, and sessions for More than Grant Writers and Movement Strategy Center.

Abigail's dedication to philanthropy, innovative thought leadership, and approach to community-centric fundraising demonstrate her significant impact and potential to advance the field and inspire others. Abigail will be recognized at CGP Conference 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana, in October. 

Nominations for the Rising Star Award 2026 will open in June 2026. 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.

Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) has selected the National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) as Council of the Year 2025. Through its comprehensive programming, NCGPC demonstrates its commitment to advancing charitable gift planning throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

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 NCGPC for its member stewardship and innovative professional development opportunities. From its monthly events to Annual Planned Giving Day, NCGPC offers resources, programming and networking opportunities benefiting members across the many professional disciplines involved in the gift planning process.

NCGPC 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 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana, in October. 

Nominations for the Council of the Year 2026 will open in June 2026. 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.