Maine Planned Giving Council Annual Conference
In-Person at the Doubletree Hotel, South Portland, ME
Thursday, September 18, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
See Who’s Registered
5.25 CFRE, 5.25 CLE, & 6.5 CTFA Credits Available
CFRE Credits: Full participation in the Maine Planned Giving Council Conference is approved for 5.25 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Networking Reception
Join us the night before the Conference on Wednesday, September 17th for a Networking Reception from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a great networking opportunity with fellow conference attendees and Board Members. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. To register, e-mail admin@mpgc.org
Conference Agenda
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Registration & Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Welcome & Introduction of Keynote
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. “Planned Giving in Campaigns:
Considerations and a Case Study at Colby College”
10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions (choose one)
“Incorporating Planned Giving into a Comprehensive Program” or
“Tax Law Changes That May Impact Planned Giving and Philanthropy”
12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Luncheon
12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Membership Meeting
1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions (choose one)
“One Person, Many Hats: Achieving success in Planned Giving when you’re the entire Development Team” or “AI for Prospect Screening and Donor Conversation”
2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Closing Presentation “From Good to “Just Right”:
Refining Your Planned Giving Program for Maximum Impact”
KEYNOTE SPEAKER OPENING PRESENTATION
Valerie Sherman
Assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Giving at Colby College
“Planned Giving in Campaigns: Considerations and a Case Study at Colby College”
Planned gifts can and should play a large part in fundraising campaigns. Valerie leads the major and planned giving areas at Colby College, which is in the final stages of a historic $1B campaign. She will share campaign basics, the role gift planning can play, and how to set up a shop for success.
A.M. BREAKOUT SESSION SPEAKERS
Ian Tovell, Moderator (left)
Director of Development at Ketcha Outdoors
Joseph Pratt (second from left)
Senior Vice President, Senior Wealth Manager, at Bar Harbor Wealth Management
Sarah Robinson (middle)
Director of Gift Planning, The Jackson Laboratory
Alyssa Schoppee (second from right)
Development Director, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
Rick Wells (right)
Independent Consultant
“Incorporating Planned Giving into a Comprehensive Program”
Planned giving isn’t a niche—it’s a necessity. If your development program doesn’t make planned giving conversations part of every donor journey, you’re leaving potential funding (and impact) on the table. This session brings together fundraisers who practice the art of integration, showing you how to build a program that feels authentic, scalable, and deeply connected to your donors’ values.
A.M. BREAKOUT SESSION SPEAKERS
T. Griffin Leschefske, Esq.
(left)
Partner at Pierce Atwood LLP
Kelly Pelletier, JD, CPA (middle)
Principal at Baker Newman Noyes
Nicholas Porto, CPA, MSA (right)
Principal at Baker Newman Noyes
“Tax Law Update for Planned Giving and Philanthropy”
Estate planning attorney Griff Leschefske, who is a partner at Pierce Atwood LLP, and CPAs Kelly Pelletier and Nick Porto, who are principals at Baker Newman Noyes, will summarize and discuss the current income, gift, and estate tax landscape with a focus on developments and opportunities for effective planned giving. This session will include practical discussion of real-life tax and estate planning issues and strategies with the goal of assisting planned giving professionals identify giving opportunities and have informed conversations with potential donors and their advisors.
P.M. BREAKOUT SESSION SPEAKERS
Anna Cooney (left)
CFRE, Director of Donor Engagement at Maine Children’s Home
Sarah McCarthy (middle)
Director of Corporate & Community Engagement at Heart of Maine United Way
Ian Tovell (right)
Director of Development at Ketcha Outdoors
"One Person, Many Hats: Achieving success in Planned Giving when you’re the entire Development Team"
As a Development Director in a small nonprofit, you’re often responsible for everything. How do you make the necessary space for planned giving when immediate needs are high?
Join this interactive discussion with three small-shop fundraisers who are integrating planned giving into their fundraising strategies, even with limited resources. You’ll hear personal stories and gain practical, actionable insights for planned giving when you're a one-person development team. This session is ideal for early career fundraisers and small nonprofit leaders or development directors.
P.M. BREAKOUT SESSION SPEAKER
Topher Stephenson
Head of Operations at Aspire Commercial
“AI for Prospect Screening and Donor Conversation”
This session dives into how AI can streamline prospect research and strengthen donor engagement strategies. Topher Stephenson will walk through tools and real-life examples that show how AI can be used to identify high-potential donors, automate intel gathering before meetings, and personalize outreach at scale. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to start using AI in their day-to-day development work—no coding required. Whether you're part of a large advancement team or a solo fundraiser, you'll gain actionable tips, tools, and workflows you can implement immediately.
CLOSING INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION
Matt Mullen, Moderator (left)
Associate Director of the University of Maine Foundation
Liz Armstrong (second from left)
Senior Associate Director of Gift Planning at Bowdoin College
Andrew Lardi (second from right)
Executive Director at Tedford Housing
Valerie Sherman (right)
Assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Giving at Colby College
”From Good to “Just Right”: Refining Your Planned Giving Program for Maximum Impact”
Is your planned giving program good, but not yet great? If you’ve established the basics but struggle to move from a passive checklist item to a proactive, thriving engine for support, this session is for you. It’s time to stop settling for "good enough" and start building a program that is "just right" for your donors and transformative for your mission.
We will kick off with dynamic examples from three leaders who are navigating this journey. Hear directly how they refined (or just starting) their programs for maximum impact, moving from stagnation to success.
But this isn't just a panel—it's a workshop. The real learning ignites when the conversation turns to you. In facilitated table discussions, you will roll up your sleeves to dissect the examples, diagnose your own program's challenges, and design actionable solutions with your peers.