Grant Whitney

Asst. Vice President, Planned Giving

125 Nashua Street
124 Mount Auburn St. 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
United States

ghwhitney@mgh.harvard.edu

Grant Whitney is the Asst. Vice President, Planned Giving at Mass General Hospital. He joined MGH as Senior Director of Planned Giving in October 2022 to supervise frontline staff. In May 2023 he was tapped to provide vision and leadership for a team of 10 across a full service planned giving program. MGH has exceeded its $3 Billion Campaign goal (December 31, 2024) 18 months early. In his current role, Grant is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of the Planned Giving program including growing and expanding its revenues, managing and marketing of the program for both internal and external audiences, and overseeing the trust and estate gift program and the administration of life income gifts and bequests. He provides vision and leadership for a team of 10 across. Grant applies a background in alternative dispute resolution to philanthropic planning with donors, and friends interested in creating family meaning. He is an experienced charitable gift planner with a history of growing philanthropic support and strengthening relationships with institutional supporters. This includes closing complex major gifts with cutting edge philanthropic vehicles and strategies that account for the changing nature of wealth holding. He brings demonstrated success in high stakes Capital Campaigns. And, he delivers philanthropic advising to high net worth families relying on legal and mediation backgrounds. Fluent in best practice Income and Transfer Tax planning. Experienced Nonprofit Coach and Manager. Grant served on the board of National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) from 2020 to 2023. He serves on the CGP Mentor/Mentee Panel and is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau. In 2014 he served on the Leadership Institute Implementation Taskforce. He is a former Planned Giving Group of New England (PGGNE) president and most recently served on the PGGNE Nominating Committee. At Harvard, in addition to frontline work completing irrevocable and revocable gifts with donors across the giving pyramid, Grant led the institution's John Harvard Society, the University’s largest planned gift recognition effort. In the University’s $9.2 billion campaign (2018), he managed initiatives that led to more than 1,000 alumni and friends becoming new members. Before coming to Harvard, Grant launched the planned giving program at Lesley University and led the program through the institution’s first comprehensive campaign. Earlier, he established a neutral dispute resolution practice in Cambridge, MA. He is a member of the Massachusetts and New York Bars. Grant earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University where he remains an active alumnus. Locally, he volunteers in several capacities. Grant earned his J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University and his undergraduate degree from Cornell University.

Other - Write In, Past CGP Board, CGP Conference Speaker

CGP Board Jan 2020 - December 2023. Local leadership w/ the Planned Giving Group of New England (2004-2008).

Not Your Parent's IRA -- The Rise of Complex Assets in IRAs: Implications for Charity, Donor and the IRA

Charitable IRA beneficiary designations are a growing share of planned gifts. What’s inside most of those IRAs today, may bear little resemblance to what future IRAs hold. We’re entering an era that’s “Not Your Parent’s IRA”. Welcome to the wild and wooly world of self-directed IRAs (SDIRA). Though “only” a several hundred-billion-dollar slice of the multi-trillion IRA market, what happens if your charity accepts an IRA full of illiquid assets, or one with an LLC, which in turn holds dozens of illiquid investments? And even if you know what’s inside, are you prepared for liquidation challenges, UBTI and UDFI (Unrelated Debt Finance Income) considerations too? What’s a planner to do? The Secure Act (2019) and Secure Act 2.0 (2022) makes retirement saving through IRAs available for millions more Americans than before. Investors and savers seek better returns with lower risk. Beyond stocks and bonds that may lead people to real estate, venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, even crypto. What used to be the province of Wall Street only, is increasingly seen on Main Street. This presentation will trace the IRA from its humble 70’s roots through the Secure Act 2.0; outline how the SDIRA industry has exploded as the investment universe has evolved; and through a lightly fictionalized “Play in 4 Acts” highlight a cascade of considerations for charity, the IRA, and the IRA account owner too.

Representative Presentations 2005 to date

HE NEW STANDARDS FOR GIFT PLANNING SUCCESS: How do You Measure UP? Interactive Zoom Webinar February 2021 In challenging times assessing pg program effectiveness has never been more important. Reflecting a multi-year effort engaging leading practitioners under the umbrella of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, this presentation highlights best practices for programs across sector, size, and program maturity. It highlights 16 standards organized around three foundational pillars: Support from the Top; The Ability and Capacity to Execute; and Donor-Centric Engagement & Management . Attendees will come away with an understanding that a new set of tools is available to assess program effectiveness and councils will discover new and timely programming potential too. And it is an interactive session too!! GIFT PLANNING: NOW, FOR THE NEAR TERM AND FOREVER. AFP NEWCOMER CONFERENCE NEEDHAM MA, NOVEMBER 2018 GIFT PLANNING: HOW TO ENCOURAGE GIFTS FROM CAPITAL. Guest Lecturer, Harvard U. Extension School, Principles & Practices in Fundraising. Cambridge MA July 2016 October 2017 July 2018 October 2018 WEALTH AND FAMILIES PHILANTHROPIC CONVERSATIONS: Select Harvard Families by Invitation. New York NY, April 2014 Newton MA, October 2015 CRTS: A FUNCTIONAL, FLEXIBLE LIFE INCOME ALTERNATIVE. PGGNE All-Day Conference. Boston, MA. May 2015. CREATING ALLIES & ADVOCATES: ENLISTING COLLEAGUES IN YOUR PLANNED GIVING EFFORTS. Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council Cincinnati OH, February 2011. GIFT PACKAGES: MIX AND MATCH TO MAXIMIZE (PGGNE) Boston MA, January 2010. American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) New Orleans LA, April 2010. Washington State Planned Giving Council Seattle WA, September 2010. Jewish Community Foundation All-Day, Hartford CT, October 2010. THE GIFT ANNUITY: A GLASS HALF EMPTY OR A GLASS HALF FULL KIND OF GIFT. (PGGNE) PG Basics Track, Boston, MA December 2008. ONE WAY TO SKIN THE CAT: VOLUNTEERS AND GIFT PLANNING IN HARVARD CAMPAIGNS. Minnesota Planned Giving Conference, Minneapolis/St. Paul MN, November 2008. BEQUESTS: A NEW TAKE ON AN OLD STAPLE. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON GIFT ANNUITIES (ACGA) Chicago IL, April 2008. CASE District I Conference Boston MA, February 2008. Minnesota Planned Giving Conference, Minneapolis/St. Paul MN, November 2008. GIFT ANNUITIES: THE GATEWAY TO LIFE INCOME GIVING. (PGGNE) PG Basics Track, Boston, MA January 2007. BEQUEST BEST PRACTICES: WHAT YOU’RE DYING TO KNOW. Planned Giving Group of New England (PGGNE) Nuts and Bolts Session Boston MA, October 2004. Planned Giving Group of Central Massachusetts (PGGCM) Luncheon Presentation Lancaster MA, February 2005.

Gift Design, Administration, Integrated Planning, Current Events, Case Studies, To be determined with Council, Other, Public Awareness Program

Philanthropic Advising

Grant

Whitney

ghwhitney@mgh.harvard.edu

Negotiable

Yes

Yes