Planning For Good

We read a very interesting story today on the Planned Giving Design Center website, that highlights the importance of gift policies that allow organizations to decline offers of gifts of personal property:  The headline:

The Smithsonian Institution in a two-sentence statement has declined accepting the suit worn by O.J. Simpson on the day he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

The story, written by Marc D. Hoffman, goes on to explain:

The Smithsonian Institution in a two-sentence statement has declined accepting the suit worn in court by O.J. Simpson on October 3, 1995, the day he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.  Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas stated the suit is not appropriate for the museum's collection.

This is a perfect example of how an organization can sidestep a situation of accepting a gift that really doesn't further its mission.

To read the story, go to www.pgdc.com.

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, JD, CTFA, has been invited to present at the Planned Giving Group of New England ("PGGNE") Annual Conference on May 12, 2010 at the Radisson, Boston.  Her topic will be "Logistics for the Small Shop" at a break-out session.  FMI on the Conference, or on the PGGNE programs held the second Wednesday of each month from September - May, go to http://www.pggne.org/index.php/menuprograms/program-calendar

Orland, Florida is the location of the American Bar Association Winter meeting and the National Association of IOLTA Programs.  IOLTA, or Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, is the primary source of funding for civil legal aid in North America.  The meeting of executives and board members of this association will discuss the challenges facing legal aid funding in the current interest rate environment and severe shortages of funds resulting, and explore other sources of funding.  She is attending as President of the Board of the Maine Bar Foundation, the IOLTA administration program in Maine, along with Executive Director Calien Lewis, Past President of the Maine State Bar Association Ginger Davis, Esq., who also serves on the board of the MBF, and MBF President Elect Eric Stauffer, Esq.  To learn more, visit www.iolta.org and www.mbf.org.

USM Center for Continuing Education Offering Introduction to Planned Giving The two-day course on April 14 & 15 qualifies for 12 contact hours and 1.2 CEU's



William Kayatta of Pierce Atwood received the Howard H. Dana Jr. Award for his work as a pro bono attorney on behalf of disabled Maine children, and his leadership in the broader effort to increase access to justice for all Maine residents.  read more at Maine Today article here - http://is.gd/6NvMB