Meeting/Event Information

New to planned giving but don’t know where to start? Wondering how planned giving may fit in your organization’s development strategy? Join the National Capital Gift Planning Council for a six-week series of virtual educational workshops, Planned Giving 101, to get started. The Friday workshop series kicks off Friday, February 20th and runs through Friday, March 27th.

All sessions are virtual from 12:00 - 1:30PM ET and the final 30 minutes are a time for participants and session leaders to connect and discuss specific questions.  A zoom link will be sent to all participants prior to the first session. Although sessions will be recorded, it is highly encouraged that each participant attend every session at the scheduled time.

Interested in attending, but don’t have the professional development budget for this series? Apply for a PG101 scholarship. Applications due Wednesday, January 28.

This program meets CAP® (re)certification requirements.

Full participation in PG 101 is applicable for 6.0 points in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Thank you to our PG 101 Sponsor - State Street Investment Management!

Session 1: Understanding How Planned Giving Connects Everything Else You Do

Presented by Emma Miller

February 20, 2026

Planned giving is often seen as a specialized, technical part of fundraising, something separate from annual appeals, events, and major gifts. Planned giving is woven into every part of a strong development strategy, and the most successful programs treat it as an extension of their broader relationship-building work.

Session 2: common planned giving vehicles

Presented by Aquanetta Betts

February 27, 2026

Ready to unlock the power of planned gifts? This session dives into the most common gift types that form the backbone of successful programs, when they’re the right fit for donor conversations, and how to confidently approach more complex options. You’ll leave with practical strategies, real-world examples, and resources to strengthen your planned giving toolkit.

Session 3: unlock the bonus level: level up development through planned giving

Presented by Jen Henke

March 6, 2026

A dynamic, actionable session designed to equip development professionals with the strategies, tools, and confidence to launch or elevate a successful planned giving program.

Session 4: Developing an Annual Planned Giving Marketing Plan

Presented by Susan Feidelman

March 13, 2026

Learn how to build a simple, year-round planned giving marketing plan that fits your organization’s capacity. This session covers identifying prospects, crafting clear legacy messages, and integrating planned giving into everyday communications. Attendees leave with a practical framework to boost awareness and grow future gifts. 

Session 5: The Ultimate Gift Collection: a complete guide to estate administration

Presented by Debra Kathman

March 20, 2026

A part of many planned giving shops is estate administration—the process of working with attorneys, executors, personal representatives and/or trustees to ensure that those gifts that the planned giving officers worked so hard to solicit and steward are realized for the benefit of the organization.  This session will explain how estate administration works and provide helpful tips and resources to explain the process and share best practices.  

Session 6: How to Talk to Your Donors About Death, Taxes, and Legacy!

Presented by Maya Weil

March 27, 2026

Planned giving conversations don’t have to be awkward or intimidating. In this session, learn how to have fear-free, donor-centered conversations about legacy and planned gifts. We’ll explore what motivates donors to make planned gifts and how to approach these topics in a way that feels natural, respectful, and donor-centered. 

Whether you’re new to planned giving or looking to strengthen your approach, this webinar will help you turn uncomfortable topics into meaningful, mission-driven conversations that benefit both your donors and your organization.

speakers

Aquanetta Betts, JD, CAP®, AEP®, CFRE, Director of Planned Giving, George Mason University

Aquanetta Betts, JD, CAP®, AEP®, CFRE is the Director of Planned Giving at George Mason University. She previously served as Senior Executive Director of Planned Giving for World Vision (Eastern US).

Before her planned giving roles within nonprofits, Betts worked for 11 years as an estate planning attorney. She is a licensed attorney in the District of Columbia and Maryland. 

Betts holds leadership positions with the National Bar Association’s Real Property, Trusts, and Estates Section, the Baltimore Estate Planning Council, and serves on the board of the National Capital Gift Planners Council. She is a past president of the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council and is a former board member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.  

Susan Feidelman, Principal Account Executive, The Stelter Company

Susan brings more than 30 years of marketing, sales and client management experience. She avidly counsels organizations regarding donor communication, cross-platform marketing, relationship building strategies and donor research. At Stelter she focuses on organizations within the following segments:  Environmental/Animal Welfare, Arts & Culture and Public Society Benefit.  Before joining Stelter, Susan worked with an agency that supported nonprofits and associations in their marketing efforts via digital and print communications.

Susan graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with degrees in marketing from the Smith Business School and honors English. Susan enjoys competitive pickleball, some long overdue traveling, and season tickets to the theater. She has two 20-something children, Rachel and Jake, and recently relocated from Maryland to Boynton Beach, FL.  

Jennifer Henke, Regional Director, Planned Giving, Wounded Warrior Project

With more than 30 years of experience in trust and estate administration and planned giving outreach, Jen currently serves as Regional Director of Planned Giving for Wounded Warrior Project. She began her career right out of college working in bequest administration for a personal trust firm before relocating to Washington, DC, where she transitioned to the nonprofit sector.

Throughout her career, Jen has focused on planned giving and bequest administration for organizations aligned with causes close to her heart. Her nonprofit experience includes roles with the American Diabetes Association, National Wildlife Federation, The Arc of the United States, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She joined Wounded Warrior Project to build and lead a planned giving program that supports WWP’s mission and ensures long-term resources for warriors, their families, and caregivers—now and into the future.

Debra Kathman, Senior Director of Gift Planning, World Wildlife Fund

Debra Kathman is the Senior Director of Gift Planning at the World Wildlife Fund.  She oversees a staff of 9 and she and her team are responsible for marketing, soliciting and closing current planned gifts, as well as working with attorneys and executors to ensure WWF receives realized bequest gifts promptly.  During her tenure at WWF, the gift planning effort has grown considerably, more than doubling marketing inquiries, Legacy Circle membership and bequest income, which is now the largest source of unrestricted income to WWF.  A graduate of Arizona State University and Albany Law School, Debra began her career as a trust and estates attorney before transitioning to fundraising. Before joining WWF in 2016, she worked in similar roles at organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, the American Red Cross and the National Wildlife Federation.  She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and the National Capital Gift Planning Council, where she serves as the Vice President of Membership.

Emma Miller, MPA, Senior Director, Planned Giving, National Geographic Society

Emma Miller is the head of planned giving at the National Geographic Society and the current president of the National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC). Her career journey offers a unique blend of on-the-ground conservation experience and philanthropic strategy.

Leveraging her deep commitment to environmental stewardship, she transitioned into the field of planned giving, where she has been a dedicated professional for more than a decade. Her expertise is primarily focused on supporting conservation organizations, helping them secure long-term financial stability through bequests, life-income gifts, and other giving vehicles. Her role at the National Geographic Society allows her to utilize this extensive experience to drive impactful philanthropy that fuels the organization's exploration, research, and educational initiatives worldwide.

Maya Weil, CAP®, Gift Planning Specialist, Arena Stage

Maya Weil is a recognized leader in the philanthropic community as a planned giving specialist with more than 20 years of experience helping non-profit organizations raise millions of dollars. After 14 years as an investment banker in London and Europe, she combined her deep financial expertise with her love of the arts. For over a decade, she helmed planned giving for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington National Opera, and the National Symphony Orchestra and she is currently the Gift Planning Specialist at Arena Stage. As a planned giving subject matter expert, she has committed herself to helping raise the knowledge and ability within the non-profit community, realizing that many smaller organizations do not have the resources or staff to develop and execute a planned giving program. Maya is a prolific presenter at conferences like Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference, CGP and the Bridge Conference and the Chronicle for Philanthropy. She holds leadership positions at the Washington, D.C. Estate Planning Council and the National Capital Gift Planning Council. Maya serves on the boards of Signature Theatre, Paragon Philharmonia, and AlpenKammerMusik.