Q: How do fluctuating interest rates tie in to various types of planned gift options, and which are the best gift options for various marketing conditions?

A: Neal Myerberg touched upon this subject at the October luncheon, so I will just summarize what's good when interest rates are low - as is the case with November's historic low AFMR of 1.4%. Charitable gift annuities are good for those older (age 80+) donors who wish to maximize their tax-free income.  For donors who no longer need the income stream from charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, now is a great time to give those income streams to the charity.

Charitable lead trusts are great right now for those who wish to combine estate planning with a charitable gift. It is possible to fund a CRAT in any amount - even more than the $5 million exemption - and not owe any transfer (gift or estate). I just ran an illustration for a $10,000,000 CRAT, and no gift tax is owed (in gift-planner-speak this is called "zeroing out the trust") for a 10-year term with a 10.8% payout or a 15-year term with a 7.45% payout.

If you have a question for The President, please e-mail us.

Alex Brovey and Steven Meyers attended Council Conversations at the NCPP in San Antonio where council leaders from across the country shared ideas about membership, including an "elevator speech" about PPP which can be used by local councils. Attendees shared successful marketing strategies including:

• partnering with local AFP and estate planning councils,
• talking to allied organizations,
• subsidizing members who cannot afford to attend local programs,
• following up with people who do not renew membership.  

Steven and Alex proudly shared the last two ideas on behalf of PPGGNY. What makes PPGGNY stand out is that we care about each and every member. This is the underlying reason why the new Philanthropic Committee was established, but that committee really creates a formal structure for our collective efforts to help each other, something that has existed at PPGGNY for years. We are more than just a collection of professionals, we are caring human beings who serve and help others. We should all be proud of our efforts!

It's hard to believe that the holiday season is just a month or so away! Once again Jonathan Tidd, Esq. will challenge (and educate) us during his annual Planned Giving Quiz. A special "advanced level" Seminar is also in the planning stage, so stay tuned for more details.

Note: Jon has traditionally drawn a capacity crowd, so don't wait...mark your calendars, and register now for these events. 

The holiday season and the end of the year offer valuable opportunities to re-connect with friends we haven't seen or heard from much during the year. Why not extend this to our planned giving donors, who are, after all, friends of our organizations? With that in mind, read more about 3 tried and true ways to let your donors know how much you appreciate them during the holiday season.

Meryl Cosentino  

With more than 25 years of legal and gift planning experience, Meryl is the Director of Planned Giving at St. Francis Hospital, a position she has held since 2009. Prior to joining St. Francis, Meryl honed her philanthropic skills at The Nature Conservancy on Long Island.

As a practicing attorney, Meryl specialized in representing parents of children with disabilities and it was this work (tailoring estate plans to meet the specialized needs of her clients) that sparked Meryl's interest in pursuing a career in planned giving.

Meryl received her B.A. from Indiana University and her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where she was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Meryl is a member of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning and recently lectured at PPP's 2011 National Conference. Meryl is currently serving as Chair on PPGGNY's Programs Committee.