The Planner-April 2011

APRIL 2011

Greetings!

John Bacon, JD
PPGGNY President

Spring is finally here and very welcome after the long and cool winter this year. April means our luncheon speaker program will soon be coming to a close and we are fast approaching NYPPS.

Our April program will focus on interesting gift planning situations, including some that led to completed gifts and some that fizzled. Come learn from our experienced panelists and share your own "war stories." We are also thrilled to honor Past President Wayne Mones, upon his retirement, by presenting him with our "Cloughie" award for outstanding service to PPGGNY and the gift planning profession. Come hear about Wayne's many accomplishments - and a few of his own stories about his years in gift planning at the National Audubon Society and elsewhere.

NYPPS registration is up and running, so sign up for the May 26 event if you have not done so already and encourage others to join us for what will be a fantastic day. Thanks to board member Hugh Williams who secured Beth Shapiro Kaufman, our plenary speaker, who will present an insider's view of estate and gift tax policy - do not miss it!

April also means taxes for many people and we are getting the usual requests for duplicate copies of Forms 1099-R from our annuitants, as well as feelers from donors who fund new annuity gifts after filing their returns (and in some cases, using tax refunds as funding assets).

(Don't miss John's entire letter with his thoughts on spring cleaning of open estates.)

We serve you, our members and friends, so please keep your comments, suggestions, and inquiries coming to me at jbacon@nypl.org or the PPGGNY office. I look forward to seeing you soon.

FEATURE ARTICLE
"It's For the Birds"

This month we celebrate a career that's really "for the birds." We honor a long-term PPGGNY member and friend, Wayne Mones, who will retire from The National Audubon Society after 27 years of service on April 30.

As you can see from the photo, Wayne is an active "birder."
But there's more to know about Wayne

Would you like to contribute a Feature Article for the Planner? Let us know

PPGGNY LUNCHEON: April 13

The Gift That Got Away
Panel Moderator: Margaret Holman

Have you ever had a gift that you thought was "in the bag", but something went wrong? Come to our April Luncheon and hear a panel of PPGGNY veterans share some of their personal experiences with a specific focus on recent gifts that did not pan out as expected...and why: practical lessons learned from gifts you couldn't (or wouldn't) close.

Our panel will include Jennifer Herman, Sr. Major Gifts & Planned Giving Officer at The Museum of Modern Art; Steven Meyers, Ph.D., Vice President-Planned Giving at The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science; Wayne Mones Vice President, Sr. Philanthropy Advisor at The National Audubon Society; and Robin Phillips, J.D., National Director of Planned Giving at the American Jewish Committee. Margaret Holman will be the moderator of this panel discussion. Bring your own questions and/or experiences and join this lively and interesting discussion

Luncheons are held from Noon-2:00 p.m. at 3-West Club, 3 West 51st Street, Manhattan. The Meal of the Day is an Entree Salad with Grilled Chicken. Kosher & Vegetarian options are available if requested in advance.

Pre-Registered Members: $60
Non-Members & On Site: $75 Register for this event now »

PPGGNY NEWS

1/2 Year Member Offer

Membership lapsed? Not yet renewed? No problem. Take advantage of our 1/2 Year Membership offer of $195. Stay involved with colleagues and the learning opportunities that can have a positive impact on your career in 2011. Rejoin online for just $195

Introductory Membership Offer

Those who are not now, or have ever been, a PPGGNY member are invited to join PPGGNY for only $150 (over 50% savings) for the first year. Tell your colleagues! Click the Forward Email link at the bottom of this newsletter to spread the good news and help grow PPGGNY.

NYPPS Keynote Speaker Chosen

Beth Kaufman PPGGNY is pleased to announce that Ms. Beth Shapiro Kaufman will be the NYPPS 2011 Keynote Speaker. Ms. Kaufman is a member in Caplin & Drysdale's Washington, D.C. office. While with the government, Ms. Kaufman was the primary Treasury representative involved in the legislative and regulatory developments affecting the taxation of trusts and estates. Her topic, Estate and Gift Tax Policy: A View From Inside the Beltway will add new light to an already hot topic among gift planners, recent legislation in the estate and gift tax area and the political and budgetary forces that are driving the changes. She will address the effects of uncertainty in the law, and the possible changes in the estate tax for 2013. Finally, Ms. Kaufman will discuss the impact of the estate and gift taxes on charitable giving. Read more

Check out the other speakers and topics on our website, and be sure to register now!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Maria Makara & Elisse Stern

Member Spotlight

Maria Makara has been with ADL for five years and is the Marketing Director of Planned Giving for the Anti-Defamation League Foundation. She plans and implements the marketing strategy for ADL's Legacy Endowment Campaign - Funding for the Future. Prior to her current role at ADL, Maria was the Marketing Manager for Echoes and Reflections - a multimedia curriculum on the Holocaust. Before coming to ADL, she spent six years in the advertising industry.

Elisse Stern is the Senior Paralegal Associate, specializing in trusts, estates, and insurance, for the Anti-Defamation League Foundation. She has been with the Foundation for seven years. Prior to moving to New York to become a graduate gemologist (always carries a loupe with her), she earned national certification as a paralegal and worked for 10 years with a law firm in Omaha, NE.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS PPGGNY welcomes: