We invite you to share your expertise, experience, successes and the trends you see in the fields of Planned Giving and Major Gifts. The conference is organized around three separate “tracks”: Administering the Gifts, Diving Deep, and Leadership & Careers.
Administering the Gifts: These sessions may be best for those who need the planned giving basics or those who want to hear it again and learn it better. Sessions about case studies, specific gift types and techniques for soliciting them, and how planned gifts may fit into the broader development picture at an attendee’s organization.
Diving Deep: These sessions may be best for those seeking technical information and legal/financial education, and for those wanting to tackle some of the big issues in estate planning. Likely best fit for planned gift professionals whose roles focus solely on legacy and estate giving, or for attendees from legal or financial advisory roles.
Leadership & Careers: These sessions focus on professional development, personal growth, cross-departmental collaboration, or career paths in and outside of planned giving. Sessions may also provide content for those attendees working with annual or major donors but wanting to practice planned gift solicitation skills and should be helpful to anyone who wants to hone conversation, relationship building, and listening skills.
Development Day welcomes attendees at all skill and experience levels in fundraising. Therefore, all presenters are asked to identify which level your presentation may be the most appropriate:
- Beginner Fundraiser with 1-3 years of experience (also appropriate for attendees in fundraiser-adjacent roles such as development office staff, Executive Directors, and financial advisors)
- Mid-career Professional with 4-9 years’ experience in the field.
- Expert with 10+ years of fundraising experience, or those in dedicated planned giving roles.
If you are interested in presenting, we encourage you to submit the title of your topic along with an outline, and a short biography by January 4th via this link –https://forms.gle/1WAVdhQ3x7y9qYqZ9
Conference attendees enjoy receiving handouts (i.e. templates, samples, outlines) and opportunities to share their own ideas. All sessions are 60 minutes and PowerPoint is supported. Presentations may not be self-promoting or sell any products. All speakers receive free conference registration, which includes breakfast and lunch. Curriculum selections will be announced at the end of January.
Schedule:
Submission Deadline: January 4, 2027
Notification: January 26, 2027
Conference: May 26, 2027