Virginia Gift Planning Council upcoming events

America is a Given Place: Gift Planning in U.S. History (24 Sep 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Our Program

A knowledge of history can become part of your professional toolkit. America is a Given Place illustrates why charitable bequests and trusts were extremely important in colonial America. From our earliest days as an independent nation, gift planning has depended on cooperation among nonprofits and bankers, attorneys and other professionals. You may be surprised to see how American colleges, churches, and other nonprofits prioritized gift planning in the Roaring 1920s. Many gift planners began their careers in the 1960s. A series of ethical crises and Federal reform laws between 1969 and 1995 shaped today’s gift planning landscape and led volunteers to organize a national association of gift planners. To understand the present, we have to know how we got here.

Approved for 1.25 hours of CFRE credit.

Our Presenter

America is a Given Place is based on Ron Brown’s 40 years as a charitable gift planner, including 15 years as director of gift planning at Princeton University, his alma mater. He served on the boards of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and the American Council on Gift Annuities, which in 2025 named him a lifetime honorary member of its Board of Directors. In 2019 the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York selected Ron for a distinguished service award.

Ron was trained as a professional historian 35 years ago and has devoted thousands of hours to scholarly research and writing. He published some of the results in A History of Charitable Gift Planning (Amazon 2017) and in numerous articles and presentations.

Thanks to our Sponsor

Our Schedule

10:00 a.m. Registration Begins/Member Networking/Coffee
10:30 a.m. Program Begins
11:30 a.m. Program Concludes/Q&A
12:00 p.m. Adjourn/Box Lunches

Registration Fees

There is no fee for members to attend, though they should register in advance (members should be logged-in to access the member rate).
The nonmember fee is $75.00. Nonmembers can also join now and then register at no additional cost.

VGPC Member Social (8 Oct 2026)

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Join fellow VGPC board of directors and colleagues at Feed More’s hunger-fighting headquarters in Henrico County. Opening in November 2024, this purpose-built, $48 million facility features expanded warehouse capacity and a state-of-the-art community kitchen, allowing the organization to respond more efficiently to the evolving needs of Central Virginia neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

See this remarkable facility firsthand and connect with the people and mission behind Feed More’s far-reaching work. Through its comprehensive programs and network of more than 380 distribution partners, Feed More serves thirty-four cities and counties from the Northern Neck to the North Carolina border.

This complimentary social gathering is a benefit of VGPC membership. Gift planning professionals interested in learning more about VGPC, becoming a member, and joining us for future programs are invited to attend. Reservations are recommended.

VGPC Program, Topic TBA (12 Nov 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Our Schedule

10:00 a.m. Registration Begins/Member Networking/Coffee
10:30 a.m. Program Begins
11:30 a.m. Program Concludes/Q&A
12:00 p.m. Adjourn/Box Lunches

Registration Fees

There is no fee for members to attend, though they should register in advance (members should be logged-in to access the member rate).
The nonmember fee is $75.00. Nonmembers can also join now and then register at no additional cost.

VGPC Signature Series, Helping Donors Answer Their Most Perplexing Questions (25 Feb 2027)

Thu, 25 Feb 2027 14:30:00 GMT

"How much should we give our heirs?" is a question that gives donors pause in making a substantial gift to charity. How we can assist donors in addressing this complex question is a critical key to our success. This session will offer concrete suggestions to help donors overcome this difficult question, which leads to more extraordinary philanthropy.

Pending approval for CFRE credit.

Our Presenter

Eddie Thompson, CEO & Founder, Thompson & Associates.

As CEO of Thompson & Associates, founded in 1996, Eddie provides leadership and direction to around 30 seasoned charitable estate planners with an inspiring sense of generosity, integrity and passion for helping others.

By creating a unique values-based model at Thompson & Associates, Eddie and his team have established a way for people to dedicate the necessary time to consider important life decisions and to engage in thoughtful discussion that leads to optimal results for all.

He has planned thousands of estates, which has generated billions of dollars to charity during his thirty plus years working with nonprofits. Eddie speaks to organizations from coast to coast on successful fundraising techniques, nonprofit management and charitable estate planning and has garnered many honors during his distinguished career. He credits his parents with shaping his personal and professional path; they were very poor, but very generous.

Eddie serves as the Chair of the Charitable Estate Planning Institute, a 501(c)(3) public charity offering top level education on charitable estate planning for development staff, gift planning officers and professional advisors. Eddie and a group of Thompson & Associates colleagues formed the Institute in 2012. He is also a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning (FCEP) awarded by the Institute.

A native of Florida, Eddie and his wife, Sheryl, have been married more than 50 years and have made Nashville their home. They have two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren. Eddie and his family are involved in many community organizations and their church. He was an active instrument pilot with both land and seaplane ratings but has since retired from flying preferring to enjoy life on his farm with the grandkids.

Our Schedule and Program

9:00 a.m. Registration Begins/Member Networking
9:30 a.m. Program Begins
10:30 a.m. Beverage Break
11:30 a.m. Program Concludes and Buffet Lunch
12:45 p.m. Adjourn

Registration Fees

There is no fee for members to attend, though they should register in advance (members should be logged-in to access the member rate).
The nonmember fee is $150.00. Nonmembers can also join now and then register at no additional cost.

VGPC Program, Topic TBA (22 Apr 2027)

Thu, 22 Apr 2027 14:30:00 GMT

Our Schedule

10:00 a.m. Registration Begins/Member Networking/Coffee
10:30 a.m. Program Begins
11:30 a.m. Program Concludes/Q&A
12:00 p.m. Adjourn/Box Lunches

Registration Fees

There is no fee for members to attend, though they should register in advance (members should be logged-in to access the member rate).
The nonmember fee is $75.00. Nonmembers can also join now and then register at no additional cost.