Published June 12, 2024
Melissa Cole, Pensacola State College Foundation
Participants at the Pensacola State College Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Philanthropy had the opportunity to learn planned giving and endowment essentials from Brent Thomas, an Institutional Investment and Philanthropy Advisor for Prudentia.
Long-thought to be one of the more technical and complicated subjects regarding nonprofit work, Brent was commended for his success in simplifying the topic of planned giving and endowments.
“This was a wonderful presentation,” Donor Relations Manager of Manna, Melanie Thorpe, expressed. “Brent is very knowledgeable and was able to make confusing concepts fun and understandable for the audience.”
The majority of the day’s training was focused on the types, concerns, restrictions, structures, and policies related to planned giving. Leveraging decades of experience working with charitable organizations throughout the United States, Brent commented on the unique perspective his role provides in advising nonprofit organizations and prospective donors.
“I tend to be considered an intermediary between donors and charitable organizations, when really, I try to be a catalyst. From my position in the ‘middle’, what I really try to do is direct structure of assets and be the catalyst to compel the gift.” Brent shared.
Independence for the Blind Executive Director, Raven Holloway, applauded Brent’s knowledge saying, “For nonprofits in our area, like our organization, who are not currently utilizing planned giving, this training was incredibly enlightening. Brent Thomas is a wealth of knowledge whose expertise has impacted us all.”
To further aid the attendees with their efforts with planned giving programs and endowments, Brent offered a handful of actionable steps for organizations to abide by.
“As a way to monitor the degree of penetration or exposure organizations are having with their donor base, I recommend they articulate and chart their touchpoints and how effective they believe they were in communicating their needs and ideas,” Brent stated.
Amongst many of the participants, it was agreed that one of the most crucial takeaways from the presentation was the importance of establishing a gift acceptance policy.
“Once you’ve founded your organization, solidified your mission, and built your nucleus of influence to increase awareness of your nonprofit, you can focus your attention on building a gift acceptance policy,” Brent explained. “What’s special about gift acceptance policies is that you can mold them and make them serve your unique needs. They’re also one of the best forms of protection, preservation, and stewardship assurance that you can develop.”
Guests thanked Brent for his wisdom, acknowledging the difference that his passion for the subject made to their understanding.
“Today was full of great tips for planned giving. Brent made the idea of managing financial and legal risk much less intimidating,” Jackie Gheen of Gheen Consulting noted.
For more information on upcoming training opportunities with the PSC Center for Nonprofit Excellence visit: https://npc.pensacolastate.edu/upcoming-workshops/ or contact Kylie Henderson at khenderson@pensacolastate.edu or (850) 484 – 1193.