The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado will offer Planned Giving Fundamentals, a workshop for nonprofit development professionals, on Monday, Oct. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ruby M. Sisson Library. Registration is $30 per person.
The workshop is built around preparing nonprofits to accept planned gifts. When a longtime supporter calls to say they’ve named the organization in their will, or they’d like to give appreciated stock instead of writing a check, staff are left figuring out on the spot whether they have a gift acceptance policy, who needs to approve the gift and how to respond to the donor.
Planned giving covers any gift a donor arranges now to be given later, through a will, a beneficiary designation, a trust or a transfer of assets such as stock or retirement funds. These gifts often come from loyal donors of modest means. They also tend to be the largest gift a donor ever makes to an organization. A supporter who has given $500 a year for a decade might leave a nonprofit $75,000 from their estate.
“Archuleta County nonprofits are already receiving these calls. We want every organization in Pagosa to be ready to say yes and handle the gift correctly,” said Briggen Wrinkle, executive director of the Community Foundation.
The session will be led by Brandy Bertram, principal of Great Big Good.
Participants will cover:
• Gift acceptance policies, so boards know what to accept and what to decline.
• Monthly giving programs.
• Bequests and beneficiary designations.
• Gifts of non-cash assets.
• IRA and qualified retirement plan gifts.
• Identifying planned giving prospects.
• Stewarding planned giving donors.
Staff or board members are welcome to attend.
The same workshop will be offered in Durango on Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the TBK Bank Community Room, and in Cortez on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at First National Bank.
Planned Giving Fundamentals is part of the Community Foundation’s Year-End Ask Series, which runs August through November.
Registration is available at https://cfssc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=3211, and the full series schedule is posted at https://www.swcommunityfoundation.org/year-end-ask-series-august-november-2026/.
The Community Foundation serves as the hub of philanthropy for Southwest Colorado, connecting people, ideas and resources to build a vibrant and resilient region. For more information on giving back and supporting community needs, visit swcommunityfoundation.org or call (970) 375-5807.
>