Events
Connect, learn, and be inspired.
Upcoming Events
A Day with Dr. Russell James: Unlock the Power of Charitable Financial Planning
Friday, June 6 at 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
TBD, Greater Tacoma Area
Speaker: Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP
Join us for an exclusive in-person event featuring Dr. Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®, a leading expert in charitable financial planning and philanthropy.
Dr. James brings decades of experience in fundraising, planned giving, and donor psychology. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and strategies from one of the best in the field!
✨ Sponsorship opportunities available! Email sspgcouncil@gmail.com for more information.
Stay tuned for more details!
Donor Advised Funds: Working with Donors to Unlock Gifts for Your Organization
Wednesday, March 19
La Quinta Tacoma
Speaker: Renee Kurdzos
Use of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) has been steadily on the rise for more than a decade. DAFs have become an important part of conversations between financial advisors and their clients, as well as an estate planning tool. But charities should be discussing DAFs with their donors too as well as including them in their marketing materials. In this session you will learn how DAFs work, how they are incorporated into financial plans, and what your charity should be aware of to maximize giving from the donors who utilize them.
Renee Kurdzos is the Director of Gift Planning, Fundraising at The Nature Conservancy. Renee has worked in development for 25 years. Prior to working at TNC, Renee served as the Executive Director, Planned Giving at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Gift Planning Officer for Washington and Hawai’i at American Red Cross; Development & Planned Giving Officer at University of Puget Sound; and as the Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. Renee is a Board Member of the American Council on Gift Annuities. She is the past Co-Chair of the Planned Giving Affinity Group for the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers and the Past President of the Washington Planned Giving Council.
Renee has a Master of Science in Taxation and a Certificate in Estate Planning from Golden Gate University, and has achieved the designation of Certified Gift Planning Specialist through the Institute for Philanthropic Studies at California State University Long Beach. In 2023, Renee received the Frank Minton Professional Achievement Award from the Washington Planned Giving Council in recognition of an outstanding career of service, dedication, and leadership in charitable gift planning. She lives in West Seattle with her husband Kevan, daughters Zoe and Margaret, and dogs Jack and Princess.
Reading the Tea Leaves About the Economic Future
February 19, 2025
12 noon to 1 p.m.
Speaker: Rachel Crane
If you were trying to read the “Tea Leaves”, what would they tell you about 2025 and specifically the economy? How might that affect Gift Planning? Interested? Join us for a studied viewpoint (not tea leaves) from the West Coast.
Rachael Crane, CFA, CPWA is astute in the skill of looking into the future to imagine what is coming. In 2021, the second year of the Pandemic, she presented her thoughts on an SSGPC ZOOM meeting, and was uncannily accurate! Learn what National City Rochdale (San Francisco Office) thinks based on in-depth research and their predictive models for 2024.
You’ll want to listen and do your own analysis of the predictions – but you will surely leave the meeting with information that you can use to help inform your planning, your presentations and your marketing plan.
Meetings are being held virtually.
Board Meetings
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Board Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
Lunch Trainings
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Lunch sessions alternate between paid and free (brown bag) trainings, and are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, except in September and December.
Basics of Planned Giving for Generalists
Each fall, SSPGC offers our community an opportunity to acquire a basic knowledge of Planned Giving and ask questions of seasoned professionals through a series of seven lunch-time training sessions. These sessions are live on ZOOM, so it is easier for students to attend.