Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires are pleased to invite nonprofit executive directors, development staff and board members to attend “Planned Giving Basics: What Every Nonprofit Should Know,” a workshop with planned giving consultant Ellen Estes of Estes Associates and attorney Virginia Stanton Smith of Smith Green & Gold, LLP.

This training will explore the various elements of planned giving, including: basic planned gift options; your best prospects for planned gifts and how to talk to them; and getting started on your planned giving program.

AGENDA

• Introduction by Jill Cancellieri, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
  
• Presentation by Ellen Estes, Estes Associates
• Presentation by Virginia Stanton Smith, Smith Green & Gold, LLP
• Q & A

ABOUT ELLEN ESTES
Ellen G. Estes, LL.B., a graduate of the Yale Law School, started her career as an estate planning and tax attorney. She then became legal counsel to the Campaign for Yale, and later served as the first director of development of Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut. Ellen founded Estes Associates to provide consulting services on major giving and planned giving programs to nonprofit organizations nationwide. She is a regular speaker at professional conferences around the country, and her articles have appeared in professional publications including Contributions, Planned Giving Today and The Journal of Gift Planning. She is a recipient of the David M. Donaldson Distinguished Service Award from the Planned Giving Group of New England and the Elizabeth Keitel Award from the Planned Giving Group of Connecticut. Ellen and her husband, Frank, received the Outstanding Fundraising Professionals Award from the Connecticut Chapters of Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2012. Ellen has gained national recognition for her basic one-day seminars, Planned Giving – Plain and Simple™.

ABOUT VIRGINIA STANTON SMITH
Virginia Stanton Smith concentrates in the areas of estate planning, estate administration and real estate. She represents clients in complex trust and tax planning, as well as simple estate plans, retirement planning, charitable gift planning, Medicaid and elder law. With more than 30 years of experience, Virginia represents individuals and couples in planning their estates, and families and institutions as personal representatives and trustees in administering estates. She has written for the American Bar Association and is a frequent lecturer for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, the organization providing programs and publications for lawyers to maintain professional competence. Virginia is a corporator of Berkshire Medical Center, a trustee of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and a committee member for Elder Services of Berkshire County and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, of which she is a past trustee and chair.