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Cathy

Sheffield

Cathy@cfmt.org / cathy@thinkgiving.com

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Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee / ThinkGiving, LLC

Director of Philanthropic Partnerships / Founder

Cathy partners with professional advisors and their clients to develop charitable giving strategies that maximize philanthropic impact, achieve tax-efficient outcomes, and create lasting legacies for the people and causes they care about most. She specializes in customized planning solutions, including gifts of complex and non-cash assets, helping individuals and families align their giving with their values while equipping advisors to better serve their clients. A charitable gift planner with more than 25 years of experience, Cathy is known for translating complex charitable planning opportunities into practical, client-focused solutions that strengthen relationships, inspire generosity, and create enduring impact. Before joining the Community Foundation, Cathy held leadership positions with Belmont University, Baylor Scott & White Health Foundation, Texas Health Resources Foundation, and Texas Christian University. A nationally recognized speaker and educator in charitable gift planning, she is a past National Chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, serves on the Board of Directors of the American Council on Gift Annuities, and is on the faculty of the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies' Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG®) program. She earned her bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University and an MBA from Texas Christian University.

Nashville

TN

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

ACGA Board

Please contact me to discuss the speaking fee. It various based on several factors, including location, time spent traveling to/from, content development, etc. It would be an honor to visit with you about speaking at a function for your nonprofit or professional association.

Ethics, Case Studies, Administration

Please visit www.thinkgiving.com, select the tab

Gifts Can be Dangerous: How and Why Gift Acceptance Policies and Procedures are Really Superheroes

A good superhero never goes into a dangerous situation without a cape and a plan. Similarly, nonprofits should not accept gifts without an acceptance structure or plan outlining what assets they will, or will not, accept. Cathy Sheffield will discuss the primary functions of an organization's gift acceptance policies and procedures - its "superhero."

Marketing/Cultivation, Public Awareness Program

Top Ways to Encourage Bequests

In this presentation, Cathy R. Sheffield will reveal ways to encourage charitable bequest intentions. You may already know that 85% of Americans donate to charities during their lifetime, yet fewer than 5.7% of Americans leave a charitable gift in their estate plans. Why is this? Perhaps the charitable organizations never asked or developed the trusted relationships necessary to merit being added to a will. All charitable organizations, regardless of size, can and should have a bequest program. In many planned giving programs, realized bequests may account for 80%-90% or more of all planned gifts. However, many charities choose to passively accept bequests. Organizations with the most successful bequest programs take a proactive approach by marketing and soliciting bequest gifts. This presentation will review the top ways to encourage bequests – from identifying best prospects, donors’ options for making a bequest, marketing, and stewardship. We will also discuss how to have conversations with donors about making a bequest gift.

Gift Design, Case Studies

Blended Gifts: Accomplishing Philanthropic Goals Today, Tomorrow and in Perpetuity!

More and more charitable clients today seek options in establishing meaningful gifts, both in size and effect. The idea of asking donors to make a "blended gift" is an emerging trend in the world of philanthropy. A blended gift is the combination of a current gift, or a commitment to make a series of current gifts, together with a planned gift, such as a bequest, charitable trust or charitable gift annuity. Combining different types of charitable gifts can be transformational to the donor in terms of achieving charitable goals and also transformational for the organization whose mission can be advanced significantly. With the growing popularity of blended gifts as a gifting strategy, those who work with the charitably inclined, including CPAs, financial advisors, attorneys, insurance agents and non-profit professionals, need to be prepared for when their clients request assistance exploring blended gifts as a way to achieve their personal and financial planning goals while still leaving a legacy. During this presentation, there will be a review of several case studies to demonstrate how various types of blended giving can enhance gifting goals, while not detracting or derailing a donor’s retirement and financial plans