Tuesday, October 15, 2024
The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is delighted to award the Hall of Fame Award to three outstanding professionals: Craig Wruck, Senior Advisor for PG Calc and author; Dien Yuen, JD, LLM, CAP®, AEP®; and posthumously, Gordon Caswell. Over the course of their careers, they continue the mission of charitable gift planning through their dedication to planned giving and professional development.
A sought-after strategist, speaker, instructor, and practitioner of philanthropy, Dien Yuen has spent the past 25 years fostering innovation and creating impact for communities worldwide. Dien co-founded Daylight Advisors to revolutionize the field and practice of philanthropic advising. Bringing together her expertise in gift planning, wealth management, professional development, and social impact, Daylight helps maximize philanthropy’s potential for transforming lives by advancing the training, research, professionalization, and diversity of today’s philanthropic field.
Dien founded the Center for Philanthropy and Social Impact at The American College of Financial Services, where she also developed and taught courses as the Blunt-Nickel Professor in Philanthropy for the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation. While at the College, Dien launched the Advisors of Color CAP® Study Group, a support group for BIPOC advisors pursuing their designations. That initiative tripled the number of CAP-trained BIPOC philanthropic professionals in the field in less than three years. In addition, she developed and launched Purpose School, an immersive, interactive learning experience to help leaders explore the intersection of meaning and purpose in their lives. Dien’s expertise and impact extend to Asia, where she is the lead faculty for philanthropy at Singapore’s Wealth Management Institute (WMI). She has taught in the inaugural Philanthropy Advisors Fellowship at the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN).
Overall, Dien has supported more than one thousand advisors seeking greater competence, confidence, and cultural dexterity in their work.
Earlier in her career, Dien worked for several wealth management firms and held executive positions in regional and global development organizations. Today she serves on the boards of Give2Asia, Giving Compass, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, and The 1990 Institute and is an advisor to the Asia Society Northern California and Global SF.
Craig Wruck’s experience in charitable gift planning spans more than 40 years in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations including Humboldt State University (CA), Minnesota State University, University of Minnesota, and The Saint Paul Community Foundation as well as U.S. Trust Company, US Bank, and Kaspick & Company. Craig currently serves as Senior Advisor for PG Calc and is the author of Planned Giving in a Nutshell, a practical guide to planned giving for development generalists.
Craig was among the early leaders of the National Committee on Planned Giving, serving as President in 1997, Conference Chair in 1993, and Chair of Government Relations from 1998 through 2010. He was a member of the Board of Directors from 1991 through 1997 and again from 2007 through 2010. The association recognized him with a Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
Craig earned his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah.
Prior to his death in 2004, Gordon M. Caswell trained more than 15,000 fund raising executives in planned giving and conducted over 1,500 seminars for professionals. In 1996, Gordon received one of the fund raising industry’s top awards, the Laureate Award for "Major Gift Fundraiser of Distinction." This honor is only given to individuals who have raised more than $10 million dollars for at least 10 consecutive years.
As president of the Baylor Healthcare System Foundation, Gordon raised over $400 million dollars. He increased their endowment from $8.9 million dollars to over $290 million in his fourteen years at the Foundation.
The Hall of Fame is CGP's highest honor. The award 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.
The awardees will be inducted into the CGP Hall of Fame at CGP Conference 2023 in Chicago, IL, in November. The Hall of Fame will be permanently memorialized on the CGP website and recognized in associated media outlets.
Hall of Fame inductees receive lifetime membership in CGP, honorary membership in the Leadership Institute, and complimentary registration to conference in the year of the award.
Nominations for the 2024 CGP Hall of Fame Award will open in June 2024. Learn more about the CGP Awards program, 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.
This award recognizes the talent of a professional new to charitable gift planning. With the work of charitable gift planning ever-changing, expanding this award encourages recipients to consider a lifelong pursuit of the field and continue active membership in their local councils and national association.