January 22, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
Q. I just got a job as the manager of planned giving at a hospice, but have no experience specific to that field. Where can I find information to help me understand planned giving?
A. Your first step: Find a mentor, suggests W. Douglas McGaughey, senior director of gift-planning services at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston, Tex. The National Committee on Planned Giving, a professional group for fund raisers who arrange bequests and other gifts that provide special tax and financial benefits, maintains local councils that provide educational opportunities as well as a chance to meet veteran professionals who might be willing to advise you. Next, Mr. McGaughey recommends signing up for an electronic mailing list devoted to the field, such as Gift PL, hosted by the National Committee on Planned Giving and the Yahoo Planned Giving Group. (To join, send a blank e-mail message to plannedgiving-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.)
Planned giving is a complicated field, and Mr. McGaughey recommends that you tackle the technical tools of such gifts first, starting with simple bequests in a will, or designations on a life insurance or retirement account. You can move on to other, more complex gift-giving vehicles later. Two books that he suggests: Planned Giving Management, Marketing, and Law, Third Edition by Ronald R. Jordan and Katelyn L. Quynn (John Wiley & Sons, 2003, $195) and The Complete Guide to Planned Giving, by Debra Ashton (Ashton Associates, $85). The last edition was released in 1991 and is currently out of print, but a new edition is on the way; to find out when it’s available, check out the author’s Web site. For more resources, check out the Foundation Center’s list of planned giving resources.
