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Doing Retirement Planning…Again

By Gene Christian and Lon P. Dufek July 1997 Volume VIII, Number 7  Americans are living longer, healthier lives. The fitness and health food craze has been embraced by all segments of our society. In fact, it’s not a craze anymore. An increasing number of older Americans routinely exercise and have diets that are low[…]

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Disposition of Qualified Plans: An Opportunity for Heirs and Charity

By Lon P. Dufek and Gene Christian Download the Planned Giving Today articleNovember 1996Volume VII, Number 11 On occasion, someone will say, “If you put an asset into a charitable trust, because of the increased cash flow, capital gain avoidance and income tax deduction, you will end up better off financially than if you sold the asset and invested the[…]

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Working with Professional Advisors

by Gene Christian Planned Giving Mentor – Vol_IV-8 August 2006  Volume IV, Number 8 I’ve been in the development and planned giving field for all of my working life. During that time, we’ve witnessed a tremendous rise in the popularity of planned giving. Today, there are many more people living in retirement than there were[…]

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When the Donor’s Advisor Manages CRT Investments

By K. Gene Christian and Sarah MarkusonPlanned Giving Today – Volume_XI-4April 2000Volume XI, Number 4 With increasing frequency, prospective planned giving donors and their advisors pose questions to us for which they expect a simple answer. For example: Will your organization serve as trustee, even if it will not be the primary remainder beneficiary of[…]

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Gift Acceptance Issues

by Gene Christian Download the Planned Giving Mentor articleJanuary 2007Volume V, Number 1 It’s December 27. The phone rings in your office. You answer and begin a conversation with someone you don’t recognize as a donor or volunteer with your organization. Early on, the caller mentions that he has been talking with his accountant and[…]

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The Tandem Trust Plan

by Gene Christian and Lon P. Dufek March 1996Volume VII, Number 3 With the combined effect of state and federal income, property, sales, capital gains, excise, use and estate taxation arguably at an all-time high, people (and their professional advisors) have become keenly aware of the need to do income, retirement and estate planning with[…]

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Tip of the Iceberg

by K. Gene ChristianPrinted in Planned Giving Today Planned giving is a professional discipline few people imagined as a career option 25-30 years ago. According to their website, there are more than 11,000 people supporting the mission of the National Committee on Planned Giving–an organization that didn’t exist 32 years ago. With that kind of[…]

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Planned giving is a professional discipline few people imaged as a career option 15-20 years ago. According to their website, there are more than 11,000 people supporting the mission of the National Committee on Planned Giving—an organization that didn't exist 22 years ago. Read More






“The Planned Giving School was invaluable...the course not only increased my knowledge of all the planned giving vehicles available, but I also came away with a plan of action.”

Brennan Wood, Dougy Center


“...Our board met and determined that the amount of current bequests is approximately $4.2 million. We simply couldn't have generated these kinds of results, without CEPN.”

Tim Abrahamson, Board Chair, Salem Nazarene Foundation

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