Previous Educational sessions
in 2009/2010 COunsel Year

January 15, 2010
Planned Giving 101 was a free workshop held in Barrie and open to all non-profit staff, volunteers and Board Members, and professional advisors. The session was presented by Linda Clemow, CFRE, who s Director, Community Giving at the Ontario Lung Association and Past Chair of the Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County. Linda led us through a variety of gift vehicles with an emphasis on bequest giving, and covered other topics such as how to identify your planned giving prospects; cultivation techniques; how to inexpensively market your program; partnering with volunteers and advisors; making the successful donor visit; and stewardship and recognition.  She also shared some donor stories to illustrate how to incorporate the information and lessons learned into an action plan.   

November 19, 2009
The Brave New World of Online Giving was an up-to-the minute session with Owen Charters, Executive Director of CanadaHelps. We’re all trying to juggle multiple modes of fundraising, from bequests and gifts of securities, to direct response and annual campaigns, to the brave new world of fundraising online – even on Facebook and other social media. Owen addressed the similarities in all of these, and how to tie them together, while showing that online giving is an extension of everything we already know and why most of us need to improve both our online and offline fundraising using techniques that are as ‘old as the hills’. Finally, Owen covered why online fundraising actually emphasizes the need for proper and targeted traditional offline fundraising.

October 22, 2009
The Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County held our After 5 Social on Thursday, November 22 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Robert Simpson Room - Flying Monkeys Brewery, 107 Dunlop Street East, Barrie. This was an open event for all members and prospective members - a great opportunity for both fundraisers and professional advisors to network and to find out who we are, what we do, and the benefits of Counsel membership.

October 8 , 2009
Planned Giving 101
This free workshop, offered in Orillia, was ideal for all non-profit staff and volunteers who want to develop an integrated planned giving program within their charity’s mandate.  Information included how to start or enhance a current planned giving program, as speaker Linda Clemow walked particpants through the different gift vehicles with an emphasis on bequest giving.  Attendees learned how to identify the “typical” planned giving suspect; how to inexpensively market their program; partner with volunteers and advisors; make a successful donor visit; and hear donor stories that can help transform information into their own action plan.  

October 1 , 2009
Planned Giving - Making an impact with your clients in your community
This session on the process of planned giving included was ably led by Duane Bentley, Regional Director for Investors Group and Chair of the Planned Giving Counsel. Duane outlined the roles of the charity, the advisor and the donor; learning how each party interacts and where the advisor and charity should support each other; and what is the ideal model for planned giving and the current reality. Relevant to both charities and advisors who are new entrants to planned giving as well as those with existing planned giving structures in place, it provoked thoughts on the planned giving process and the tools to enhance the ‘ask’ while engaging more prospects.

Our 2007/2008 Counsel educational sessions included:

June 23, 2009
Our Counsel year concluded with our Annual General Meeting held at Michael & Marion's in Barrie. The AGM consisted of our Business Meeting, Annual Elections and luncheon, followed by a guest speaker. Alan Atkins shared his personal knowledge on Donor Relations. We look forward to another exciting year under the guidance of our new Executive Committee.

May 29, 2009
Planned Giving Symposium 2009 at the Barrie Country Club
This half day session featured two very interesting speakers: Geoff Smith, LLB of Private Wealth & Estate Services, Great West Life Assurance Company, and Joe Anderson, Publisher of the Barrie Advance, Vice-President of Metroland and a distinguished Barrie philanthropist.

The technical  “nuts and bolts” of the many Planned Giving strategies available today, were presented by Geoff Smith LLB one of the foremost experts on the subject. Joe Anderson's message was a most valuable one: how with a modest income you can make substantial gifts and a big difference to your community through planned giving. All attendees - whether professional advisors looking to expand their practice to include benefitting the charities in our community, or charity fundraisers looking to expand their network amongst those advisors - benefitted from this Symposium. This session also gave a minimum of 2 CE credits for Advocis members.

May 8, 2009
Duane Bentley, Regional Director for Investors Group, presented this educational session on The Design and Implementation of a Planned Giving Programme, Hospital Foundation Method. Drawing on first-hand experiences that we can all learn from as we build our Planned Giving Programs, Duane covered such topics as the creation of a High Performance Planned Giving Team from start to finish; creating that team to achieve results; who should be on your team, and how to draw on their strengths; examing the difficulties encountered along the way; dealing with expectations – those of the team, the individuals, the donors, and the organization; how to achieve leverage in the community; and the necessary steps for success.

May 7, 2009:
Linda Clemow, CFRE, Chair of the Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County & Director of Community Giving at The Lung Association presented Planned Giving 101 - a session on making planned giving work for your charity. This outreach session was held in Midland. Everyone knows that planned giving should be part of your charity’s mandate, but how do you make it work when you are raising much-needed funds for today?  This session coverred how to integrate planned giving into the donor cycle and how to move your programme forward.  Through donor stories, all gift vehicles were discussed with an emphasis on bequests and how to market them effectively.

March 4 and 31, 2009:
We were proud to present a two-part educational session for March 2009
Session One: Planned Giving Made Practical - Gifts, Trends and Tools
Session Two: Your Planned Giving Programme - How to get the job done
Paul Nazareth, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto Development office and a member of CAGP, AFP and CCAA was the fascinating speaker for these sessions. These straight talking sessions inspired passion for Planned Giving and provided real life examples of how to practically grow a gift planning program, set team goals, find planned giving prospects, be confident with your ask and grow participation in your recognition programs. Industry leading resources and real life examples of how shops of all sizes run planned giving programs that produce results were provided.

December 3, 2008:
Planned Giving and Gift Acceptance Issues and Policies for Canadian Fundraisers We were pleased to provide this AFP webconference on Canadian Legal Issues.
While recent statistics indicate that charitable giving by donors to charities have been on the rise, charities must exercise due diligence in accepting and managing the gifts to avoid potential pitfalls. Presenters Terrance S. Carter, LL.B. and Theresa L.M. Mann, LL.B. covered how well developed gift acceptance guidelines provide a charity with clarity on the type of issues to discuss with donors, and assist the charity in fulfilling its fiduciary duties in accepting and managing the gifts. In addition, proper implementation of gift acceptance guidelines assists the charity in taking a proactive approach in avoiding pitfalls involved in improper acceptance and management of its gifts.

November 13, 2008:
Burning Questions 2: Who saw this coming? Strategies to raise funds in an unprecedented economic climate
Members and guests were invited to join the Counsel for a morning session to discuss how charities can continue to raise funds and strengthen relationships with their donors during these times of economic uncertainty.  Counsel Chair, Linda Clemow, facilitated a lively discussion based upon questions submitted from Counsel members and guests.

October 2, 2008:
Marketing Planned Giving - Maybe We Have It All Wrong? This session was an AFP webconference, jointly sponsored by the Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County and Barrie Public Library. The session looked at the traditional marketing model and then presenter Ken Ramsey asked "could we do things differently?" He offered ways we can re-think the marketing model borrowing proven techniques from other areas of fundraising. Ken Ramsay shared actual results from very different planned giving marketing models including results from different types of organizations and concluded with: "Maybe we do have it all wrong! It really isn't that difficult to create a great planned giving program. Take the right steps in the right order and results will happen immediately"

September 22, 2008
The Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County started the 2008/2009 season with a Meet & Greet on Monday, September 22 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Robert Simpson Room - Robert Simpson Brewing Company, 107 Dunlop Street East, Barrie. This was an open event for all members and prospective members - a great opportunity for both fundraisers and professional advisors to network and to find out who we are, what we do, and the benefits of Counsel membership.


Our 2007/2008 Counsel educational sessions included:

June 24, 2008: Our year concluded with our Annual General Meeting.

May 2008: "Donor Development" was presented by Kate Dillon, Communications Professional.

April 2008: "Burning Questions" session presented by the Planned Giving Counsel Executive was an opportunity for members and guests to get answers to their questions about Planned Giving.

February 2008: Melanie Smith of ScotiaMcLeod spoke on gifts of securities.

December 2007: This presentation was an AFP Audioconference - Navigating Beyond “No”: The Nuances of Negotiation for Major and Planned Gift Officers with Pat Moline, CFRE, CFP and Bradley R. Shafer, J.D.

October 2007: Ty Wehrenberg of Investors Group spoke on the gifting of securities and on insurance based planned giving strategies.

September 2007: The Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County started the 2007/2008 season with a Meet & Greet.


Our 2006/2007 Counsel educational sessions included:

June 12, 2007: Our year concluded with our Annual General Meeting.

May 2007: "Philanthropic Developments in the financial industry" was presented by Joanne Ryan, of TD Waterhouse Philanthropic Advisory Services

March 2007: "A Charitable Gift Annuity: The professional advsior and gift planner working together" was an opportunity for members and guests to learn from Linda Clemow, CFRE, of the Planned Giving Counsel, and Ralph Smith of PlanGive

February 2007: Susan Layvcock, Executive Director of Children at Season's Centre gave a presentation on "Fundraising with few resources" geared towards small shops

January 2007: "What a succesful planned giving programme looks like" was Presented by Scott Fortnum, CFRE, the National Development Director for Ducks Unlimited

December 2006: David Bumstead, of Wise Riddell Financial Group, spoke on the history of the Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County: "PGCSC - the beginning, the development and the vision"

November 2006: saw our Fall SYmposium take place with the theme "The Business of Giving: what you need to know". Terry Carter, BA, LL.B, addressed "The changing legislative environment"; Tom Hards, CA, spoke on "Specific Gifts" and Joan Gilroy, a local resident, shared her thoughts on "The Philanthropist's Perspective".

October 2006: The Planned Giving Counsel of Simcoe County participated in the annual Georgian College Fundraising Conference with a full day presentation on "Planned Giving for the Small Shop". Various Counsel members addressed the topics of the Integrated Annual Campaign, Insurance & Annuities, Estate Planning, Myth Buisters, Financial Planning Benefits, and the Cascade Model.