Activate your membership to connect with a national network of charitable gift planning peers and gain access to valuable resources.
About Your Membership
Understand how CGP membership works, discover our shared ethics and more.
Connect with a community of pros.
The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners is your professional home—a place to build your career and connect with a national network of charitable gift planning professionals.
Education
We offer a wide range of educational opportunities—from our online resource library to webinars to in-person events—to help you keep your skills sharp.
Research
Data at your fingertips. Keep tabs on our latest research.
Standards
As a standard-setting organization, we provide these resources for all. Download models and best practices in PDF form.
Our position.
CGP gives a voice to the charitable gift planning industry in Washington. Read more.
Read the latest scoop.
Follow our blog for news and updates about what you need to know from Washington.Read more.
Join the action.
Join CGP and ask your elected officials to support the charitable giving profession. Learn more.
About The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners
CGP has grown with and for the charitable gift planning industry. From think tank conversations, to a federation of local councils, to a professional organization, we've evolved to serve members nationwide. Together, we build a bold future of smarter giving and bigger impact.
Find the education you need
Tap into education that will take your career to the next level. Search for conference papers, on-demand webinars, and live events. CGP members enjoy member-only pricing and discounts on events.
Brandolon Barnett Named Closing Lunch Plenary Speaker for CGP Conference 2025
Wednesday, December 31, 1969
Indianapolis, IN: The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is delighted to announce Brandolon Barnett, innovator, author, and entrepreneur, as the Closing Lunch Plenary Speaker.
Brandolon will share his journey from poverty to board member, donor, and social-impact technologist during “Mapping the Donor Journey: Meeting Supporters Where They Are—And Where They’re Headed,” at CGP Conference 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana, this October.
Brandolon currently wears multiple hats as Head of Innovation and Philanthropy for Giving Compass, Founder & CEO of The Regular App, Co-Founder & Lead Faculty for the Tech for Good Bootcamp and graduate certificate at Loyola Chicago, and author of Dreams Deferred: Recession, Struggle, and the Quest for a Better World.
His dedication to leveraging technology and social impact to move resources to those in need has had a profound impact on donor engagement, technology and research within the gift planning and philanthropy industry.
Michael Kenyon, CEO of CGP, shared, “Brandolon’s personal journey and remarkable career success have shaped a unique perspective that has become an important and timely voice in philanthropy.”
With his extensive expertise in philanthropic innovation and technology, Brandolon has spoken at previous events including: BBCon, Dreamforce, SXSW, SHRM, the Council on Foundations Annual Conference, AFP, ACCP and Independent Sector.
CGP Conference 2025 will be hosted from October 15-17 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana. Brandolon will present during the Closing Plenary Lunch on Friday, October 17. The CGP Conference Closing Plenary Lunch is sponsored by The Donikian Family Endowed Lectureship in Planned Giving Fund at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
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.
The philanthropic community's commitment to continuous learning and strategic professional development sets it apart from other sectors. The June Perspectives poll reveals where professionals are investing their development efforts.
All submissions must include the following information:
Title and complete list of authors
Author affiliations
Executive Summary (250-300 words)
3-6 keywords that describe the content of the article
Audience Level (Emerging or Experienced)
Sections (Article Types):
Opinion
Submission Requirements for Opinion Articles
Opinion Article Definition: An Opinion Article for The Journal of Gift Planning represents the views of an individual or organization within the field of gift planning concerning a specific topic, piece of legislation, program, issue, theory, or issue. These articles are solely the view/s of the individual submitting the article and do not represent the views of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, nor are they reviewed as fact. These articles consistently end with a call to action of the target audience.
Opinion Article Goals: The goal of submitting an opinion article is for readers to express their opinions on topics within the field of gift planning in order to promote conversation across the field.
Target Audience: A specific sector of Gift Planners or career stage, or sector environment.
Opinion Article Requirements
Length-max 1000-1500 words (approximately 5-6 double spaced pages). The title page does not count towards the word count.
Margins-1 inch
Spacing-Double Spaced
Font: Arial
Font Size: 12
Page numbers in top left corner
Application Paragraph
Before the final paragraph of your article, the authors must include a paragraph on how this piece can be applied to the field of gift planning. These statements can include policy recommendations, new models or ways of thinking. These statements should be actionable and be applicable to the target audience to use within the next six-months in the profession.
Conclusion Paragraph
The final paragraph of your article should include, the question you answered/opinion stated, what you found or your main thesis statement, why this piece matters to the target audience, and a final call to action.
Additional Considerations
Opinion articles cannot be used to sell products or promote one’s personal business or brand.
Opinion articles can contain up to two images. These images cannot be personal brands or sales images. The images must directly relate to the opinion being expressed through research, graphics, or pictorial abstracts.
Opinion articles cannot be used to diminish the image of an individual or business within the field of Charitable Gift Planning.
Program or Practice
Submission Requirements for Program or Practice
Articles Program or Practice Article Definition: A Program or Practice Article for The Journal of Gift Planning is an article that shares a specific program or practice within the field of gift planning. These articles include how to implement, apply, and maintain the program or practice for the field. These pieces are in-depth, applied, articles that give the how-to of a program or practice. They can include any potential cost analysis associated with implementation of the program or practice, as well as the results of the program or practice within a gift planner setting.
Program or Practice Article Goals: The goal of submitting a Program or Practice Article is to provide our membership with a new program or practice to use within their own work. The aim of these articles is to share successful programs with the community for greater use across the field.
Target Audience: Program or Practice Articles should be targeted towards certain sectors of the gift planning community.
Program or Practice Article Requirements
Length-max 5,000 words (approximately 10 double spaced pages). The title page does not count towards the word count.
Margins-1 inch Spacing-Double Spaced
Font: Arial
Font Size: 12
Page numbers in top left corner
Cited primary research, policy, legislation, or articles if applicable. Citations should be either APA in-text citations or endnotes (depending on the number of citations) and must be included in a Reference List (references pages do not count towards the word count).
Figures and graphics can be included. If included, authors must acknowledge the original source in the caption(s). Authors are also responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and release forms from the appropriate rights‐holders.
The program or practice manual, and any documents that supports the implementation of the program or practice can be included.
Optional: Include additional Resources that can be used or go deeper on the program or practice for advanced users.
Application Paragraph
Before the final paragraph of your article, the authors must include a paragraph on how this piece can be applied/why it is relevant to the field of gift planning. These statements can include policy recommendations, new models or ways of thinking. These statements should be actionable and be applicable to the target audience to use within the next six-months in the profession.
Policy Analysis
Submission Requirements for Policy Articles Policy
Article Definition: A Policy Article for The Journal of Gift Planning is an analysis of a particular policy/legislation that impacts the field of gift planning or a potential new policy or practice that could support the field of gift planning.
Policy Article Goals: The goal of submitting a Policy Article is to provide our membership with an analysis of a policy or piece of legislation. Policy Articles must include recommendations for improvement, impacts, or potential impacts of the policy, and potential solutions.
Target Audience: A specific area of gift planning or sector of gift planning
Policy Article Requirements
Length-max 5000 words (approximately 10 double spaced pages). The title page does not count towards the word count.
Margins-1 inch Spacing-Double Spaced
Font: Arial
Font Size: 12
Page numbers in top left corner
Cited primary research, policy, legislation, or articles. Citations should be either APA in-text citations or endnotes (depending on the number of citations) and must be included in a Reference List (references pages do not count towards the word count).
Figures and graphics can be included. If included, authors must acknowledge the original source in the caption(s). Authors are also responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and release forms from the appropriate rights‐holders.
Policy Article Sections to Include (subsections and additional sections are allowed):
Description of the Policy
Laws and Legislation that relate to the policy
How the policy impacts gift planning
Authors conflict of interest
Impacts of the policy
Recommendations
Application Paragraph
References
Application Paragraph
Before the final paragraph of your article, the authors must include a paragraph on how this piece can be applied/why it is relevant to the field of gift planning. These statements can include policy recommendations, new models or ways of thinking. These statements should be actionable and be applicable to the target audience to use within the next six-months in the profession.
References
All references should be cited in APA style
Review
Policy Analysis articles that are accepted to be published in the journal will go to a Technical Editor for final review.
Research
Submission Requirements for Research Articles
Research Article Definition: A Research Article for The Journal of Charitable Gift Planning consists of original research that answers a question facing the field of gift planning. A research article consists of original hypotheses, data, and analysis.
Research Article Goals: The goal of submitting a Research Article is to share original research with the community.
Target Audience: A specific area of gift planning
Research Article Requirements
Length-max 10,000 words (approximately 20 double spaced pages). The title page does not count towards the word count.
Margins-1 inch Spacing-Double Spaced
Font: Arial
Font Size: 12
Page numbers in top left corner
Cited primary research, policy, legislation, or articles. Citations should be either APA in-text citations or endnotes (depending on the number of citations) and must be included in a Reference List (references pages do not count towards the word count).
Figures and graphics can be included. If included, authors must acknowledge the original source in the caption(s). Authors are also responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and release forms from the appropriate rights‐holders.
Research Article Sections: A research article can include subsections within each of these categories:
Executive Summary (see title page)
Literature Review
Include hypotheses
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Application Paragraph (see below)
References
Application Paragraph
Before the final paragraph of your article, the authors must include a paragraph on how this piece can be applied/why it is relevant to the field of gift planning. These statements can include policy recommendations, new models or ways of thinking. These statements should be actionable and be applicable to the target audience to use within the next six-months in the profession.
Review
Research articles that are accepted to be published in the journal will go to a Technical Editor for final review.
Literature Review
Submission Requirements for Literature Review Articles
Literature Review Article Definition: A Literature Review Article for The Journal of Gift Planning is a deep review of the literature surrounding a particular topic. A literature review relies on synthesizing primary articles and research to provide a comprehensive review.
Literature Review Articles are collected through invited/open submissions.
Literature Review Article Goals: The goal of submitting a Literature Review Article is to provide our membership with an advanced history on a topic. The aim of these articles is to provide an advanced historical education to the membership. These topics will allow the membership to have a complete synthesis of a topic pivotal to the field.
Target Audience: Literature Reviews should be targeted towards gift planners who are looking for an advanced deep-dive on a topic. If a specific area of gift planning is targeted, list them here.
Literature Review Article Requirements
Length-max 5000 words (approximately 10 double spaced pages). The title page does not count towards the word count.
Margins-1 inch Spacing-Double Spaced
Font: Arial
Font Size: 12 Page numbers in top left corner
Cited primary research, policy, legislation, or articles. Citations should be either APA in-text citations or endnotes (depending on the number of citations) and must be included in a Reference List (references pages do not count towards the word count).
Figures and graphics can be included. If included, authors must acknowledge the original source in the caption(s). Authors are also responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions and release forms from the appropriate rights‐holders.
Literature Review should be broken up by sections. There should also be a methods section that details how you gathered your literature used in the piece.
Application Paragraph
Before the final paragraph of your article, the authors must include a paragraph on how this piece can be applied/why it is relevant to the field of gift planning. These statements can include policy recommendations, new models or ways of thinking. These statements should be actionable and be applicable to the target audience to use within the next six-months in the profession.
Editorial Structure
The Journal of Gift Planning includes five sections or article types: Opinion; Program/Practice; Policy Analysis; Research; and Literature Review.
Author Guidelines
The Journal of Gift Planning accepts original submissions (i.e., new unpublished work) that highlight programs, policies, academic research, and any other topic that is relevant to CGP’s diverse nonprofit readership.
CGP’s readership includes charitable gift planning professionals from diverse backgrounds, both at the beginning of their careers as well as veterans in the field.
Authors should be prepared to identify their target audience and how the topic they’re addressing can contribute to the professional advancement of that audience.
Inquiries concerning the appropriateness of a certain topic, or any other questions/concerns, should be sent to journal@charitablegiftplanners.org.
Below are the formatting requirements for all submissions as well as the requirements for each article type.
Articles that do not follow these requirements will be resent to the authors for corrections.
Authors Contact Statement: Authors may not contact editors to influence the outcome of their submission. Authors must submit their work through the form on the CGP website and may not send information directly to an editor. Author may not try to access the outcome of the review by contacting an editor. Authors of accepted submissions are required to sign CGP's license to publish agreement, which includes CGP's AI use policy.
National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Elects 2025 National Board Members
Wednesday, December 31, 1969
Indianapolis, IN -- The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) is pleased to announce the 2026 class of Board of Directors. Six members were elected to the board to serve three-year terms beginning January 2026. The members were elected at the Assembly of Delegates during the Annual Business Meeting held June 11, 2025.
Meet the 2026 Class of Board of Directors below:
Sharon Bean
Sharon Bean has spent most of her career in the planned giving field and is passionate about building meaningful donor relationships and championing planned giving within larger development operations. She is the Senior Director of Planned Giving at International Rescue Committee, overseeing the growth of donor advised funds revenue, planned giving donor marketing and stewardship, professional advisor engagement and estate administration.
Sharon began her development work in higher education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Western Maryland College. She spent many years at the American Heart Association where she led principal, planned and major gifts efforts for NYC and Eastern US and was responsible for raising revenue for the organization's first social impact fund. While leader of Charitable Estate Planning in the Tri-State area, Sharon facilitated new national marketing approaches including one of the largest professional advisor conferences in the country and was a leader of the AHA’s National Planned Giving Marketing Committee.
Sharon currently serves on the Board of the Philanthropic Planning Group of New York and previously served on the Board of the Charitable Gift Planners of CT.
Akadius Berry
Akadius Berry is the Chief Marketing Officer at TIAA Kaspick, where he leads the marketing, analytics, and client communications teams. He joined the organization in 2023 after serving as Head of Global Demand Marketing at General Electric Digital. Over his career, Akadius has held key marketing roles at prominent companies, including Charter Communications, Corning Inc., Time Warner Cable, Toshiba, IBM, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and FedEx. He earned his MBA from Tennessee State University and a BBA from Howard University. Beyond his professional achievements, Akadius has been deeply involved in community service, serving as board chair and trustee for various nonprofits and organizations. Notably, he was a commissioner for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission and is currently a member of the 2025 CGP Conference Committee.
Julie Captain
For nearly 30 years, Julie Captain has dedicated her career to helping individuals make meaningful, impactful gifts that align their personal passions with the needs and mission of the organizations she serves. In a variety of roles across leading institutions, she has combined thoughtful strategy with deep empathy to inspire generosity and advance important causes.
As Associate Vice President of Advancement at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Julie leads the day-to-day operations of a small, high-performing team focused on fundraising for the hospital’s annual needs, including its research, charity care and Quality of Life programs, as well as the organization’s $100 million "Accelerate Ability” campaign.
Prior to her time at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, she invested nearly 19 years at Northwestern Medicine in a variety of roles, including Director of Planned Giving at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Director of Development and Planned Giving at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, where she co-led their $150 million Our Legacy. Our Future. campaign.
Julie’s professional forte is in creative gift planning and has been heavily involved with the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, joining its Board of Directors in 2007 and ultimately serving as President from 2011–2013. During her tenure, she is most proud of starting the CCPG Scholars Program with her board colleagues, in the hopes that CCPG can enrich the lives and careers of others like it did for her. In 2023, she received the organization’s prestigious Russell V. Kohr Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments and mentorship to others.
Since leaving a leadership role with CCPG, she has participated in both CCPG and AFP Chicago’s respective mentorship programs. Also active in her community, Julie was on the Evanston Community Foundation Board of Directors from 2010–2013 and currently serves as Moderator of First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC and plays an active role in its justice/advocacy board.
Matthew Clark
Matthew Clark, J.D. AEP® is the Executive Director of Planned Giving at the West Virginia University Foundation (WVUF), where he oversees all aspects of estate and gift planning for the WVU system. He has 20 years of experience in the field and has secured over $162 million in planned gifts across the university.
Before joining WVUF in 2016, Matthew was a vice president at PNC Institutional Investments, where he administered perpetual charitable trusts and advised institutions on planned giving strategies. He is a board member and President of the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council, and an active member of two other estate planning councils in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Matthew holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, and a BBA in Economics from Mississippi State University. He is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and an Accredited Estate Planner®.
Matthew enjoys traveling with his family, curling with the Pittsburgh Curling Club, and volunteering in his community. He can be reached at mclark@wvuf.org or 304-284-4033. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkbhm/.
Andrea Jenkins
Andrea Jenkins is the Associate Director of Gift Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she recently secured her largest deferred gift commitment to date to support Covenant Scholarships. Previously, Andrea served as Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor at Winston-Salem State University from May 2023 to June 2024. Prior to that, she held the roles of Director and Senior Director of Development for Major and Planned Gifts at WSSU. Over the past decade, Andrea has specialized in gift planning, establishing a robust legacy society program that welcomed over 200 new members into the Heritage Society since 2015.
During her tenure at WSSU, Andrea led several advancement programs, including the Annual Fund, Major and Planned Giving, Donor Relations, and Advancement Services. She has extensive experience in securing blended gifts, benchmarking gifts of insurance, and closing complex gifts of real estate and tangible personal property. From 2017 to 2020, she closed several charitable gifts of real estate in Edenton, NC, which were later featured in the 2023 UNC Investment Fund annual report. In 2020, she also established WSSU’s “Gift of Property” Committee to oversee potential non-cash gifts.
Before her advancement roles at WSSU, Andrea served as a Major Gifts Officer at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Andrea holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation, a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from High Point University (2009), and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2004).
A committed leader in the philanthropic community, Andrea is a former President of the North Carolina Council of Charitable Gift Planners and a long-time member since 2015. She has twice chaired the Major and Planned Gifts Committee for the UNC System’s Advancement Symposium. Nationally, she has served on the Nominating Committee of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and currently sits on its 2025 DEI Committee.
Locally, Andrea has been deeply engaged in community service. She served on the Black Philanthropy Initiative Committee of The Winston-Salem Foundation from 2009 to 2016 and has been part of the Community Philanthropy Builders from 2015 through 2025. In addition, she has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House of the Triad and Samaritan Ministries, reflecting her lifelong commitment to advancing equity and compassion through service.
Andrea is married to George Jenkins, and has two beautiful daughters Gabrielle and Aubrey. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated., The Links Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America.
JiHae Munro
Since 2007, JiHae Munro has honed her skills at leading, complex healthcare, higher education, and advocacy institutions. As Senior Director of Gift Planning, Principal Gifts at the University of Southern California, she helps alumni, faculty and other partners with making a meaningful impact and colleagues with preparing for confident, nuanced donor conversations involving gift planning. In addition to working with supporters in California, she is responsible for helping drive philanthropic and gift planning activity on the East Coast. Previously, JiHae managed the comprehensive gift planning program at Barnard College and served as a gift planning resource for donors and regional development teams of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. JiHae has a breadth of development knowledge, including principal giving, planned and blended giving, stewardship, campaign management, volunteer development, marketing and planned gift administration.
From 2021-2025, JiHae served on the executive committee of Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY). Most recently as DEIB Chair, she strengthened board culture, strategic planning and leadership development practices and as Planned Giving Day New York Co-Chair, spearheaded planning of this conference in 2023 and 2024. She also served as the 2021-2023 Board Secretary. JiHae earned her MBA from Temple University and her BA in political science from Amherst College. A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy and Certified Fundraising Executive, she has completed the Plus Delta Discipline of Frontline Fundraising Program (DFF). JiHae is a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and Georgia Planned Giving Council and is committed to ongoing learning and leadership in the field.
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.
Staying up-to-date with evolving legislation and industry trends while managing teams and schedules is an ongoing challenge across industries. Whether you’re looking to master new technology, gain practical skills or understand the latest from Capitol Hill, professional development is crucial for career success in charitable giving and philanthropy.
Since 1992, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners has conducted a state-of-the-art field survey to provide gift planners and organizations with the information they need to remain competitive in the field.
The CGP 2024 Compensation Report provides unprecedented insight into the gift planning and philanthropic landscape. The report spans over 60 pages and explores 44 research questions impacting the compensation of charitable gift planners, including:
Regional salary benchmarks and variations
Career satisfaction and retention
Professional challenges and perceptions
The report is available to CGP national members at no cost, as part of your suite of membership benefits. Non-members may purchase the report for $99. Read the abstract and access the full report here.
