CAGP Blog

Delving into the first pages of Digital Executor: Unraveling the New Path for Estate Planning triggered a memory of a Skype conversation with my dad a number of years ago. He, in his leather easy chair, camera focused on his face from the nose up, wanted help in copying and pasting content onto a Word document. As a tech-avoidant but somewhat capable user myself, to walk a retired digital newcomer verbally though this very simple process was eye-opening in terms of my own knowledge and patience, and my own digital know-how in working with others. Needless to say, I have a lot of learning still to do in all three areas.

CAGP is currently in the process of a full website update. Upon launch of the new website, we will also be implementing a new practice regarding our job board.

CAGP’s 27th Conference on Strategic Philanthropy, which took place April 14-16, 2021, tackled some big themes, none more so than the rallying cry to ‘reimagine the future of philanthropy’. These messages deeply resonated with conference attendees, so much so that we were asked to make some of the information available publicly so that attendees could share the words with their leadership and board members. Today we are pleased to do so.

As the Will Power campaign forges ahead in its aim to inspire more Canadians to leave an estate gift to charity, we know that professional advisors have a big role to play. Which is why we are grateful to Founding Partners and sector sponsors like CALU (Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting), an association made up of leaders in the life insurance and financial advisory industry, who are helping to advance the philanthropic conversation.

The federal government launched its 2021 pre-budget consultations in January, providing an opportunity for experts and interested parties to share ideas about how the 2021 Budget can support Canadians through the pandemic and help the country “build back better”.

CAGP typically makes a submission to pre-budget consultations, sharing our views on how philanthropy can be strengthened through enhanced strategic giving vehicles, and with new or improved tax policy to incentivize and amplify charitable giving. Our Government Relations Committee deliberated on the matter, giving particular consideration to our current social and economic context.

Recently, the BC Financial Services Authority released a further bulletin on “Charitable donation of Life Insurance Policies in British Columbia” . We know this issue has been of great concern to our members in British Columbia and across Canada over the past year. As part of their bulletin, the Authority has encouraged the charitable sector to both communicate current best practices for gifts of life insurance, and to develop a document on this important area of philanthropy.

It’s a bizarre time, to say the very least. I, maybe like you, am riding endless waves of thoughts and feelings through this COVID pandemic. One minute, fighting back a lump in my throat while scrolling endless newsfeed of horrific stories of the dangers for front line workers – some of who are my colleagues and friends. The next minute, finding much needed laughter with my sister virtually while practicing Cher’s early 90s Hot Dance routine on my back deck.

This month we wanted to highlight a great idea that is growing in the legacy marketing community – gathering to talk about marketing and metrics. We have a group that meets in the Greater Toronto Area and our member Sarah who recently moved from Toronto to Vancouver, was part of organizing the first one there, late last year.

We asked advanced leaders in our Government Relations Committee to share their thoughts on modern planned giving.  Today’s post comes from a longtime member, volunteer and strategist Robert Kleinman, whose insight will be of value to charitable and financial gift planners alike. 

GIFT PLANNING DESIGNATION FOR ADVISORS AVAILABLE

Together with Knowledge Bureau and Spire Philanthropy, we are pleased to announce that all three online courses in the MFA-P™ -  designation program are now available.  The program, which has been written and tested over the past year, will allow advisors to obtain specialized professional credentials that enable them to provide formal gifting plans for individuals and families interested in strategic philanthropy.