Gift Planning Development, LLC
“Helping you chart a strategic direction in gift planning.”
About Our Firm
Brian M. Sagrestano
President & CEO
brian@giftplanningdevelopment.com
Brian M. Sagrestano, JD, CFRE, serves as President and CEO of Gift Planning Development, LLC a full service gift planning consulting firm. The son of a sole-practitioner CPA, Brian’s interest in the complexities of the tax code was “encouraged” at a very young age. Brian worked for the family business throughout his formative years and then “as-needed” until it was sold in 2001. He earned an A.B. cum laude from Cornell University and a J.D. cum laude from Notre Dame Law School. Brian’s service as a law clerk in the Hunterdon County, New Jersey Superior and Surrogate Courts cemented his interest in estate planning and probate. He spent several years practicing law with two New Jersey law firms, with an emphasis on tax and estate planning. Brian’s client-centered philosophy ultimately drew him into philanthropic planning full-time, where he led the gift planning efforts for the University of Pennsylvania, Middlebury College and Meridian Health Affiliated Foundations, following major gift and gift planning positions at Clarkson University and Hamilton College. The gift planning programs under Brian’s direction raised over $400 million in complex outright gifts, life-income gifts and realized estate gifts. After many years working directly for charities, Brian formed Gift Planning Development in 2007.
A dynamic and engaging teacher, Brian has presented at conferences around the country for organizations such as the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (formerly the National Committee on Planned Giving), the Council on the Advancement and Support of Education, and the Association of Fund Raising Professionals. Over the last twelve years, he has spoken to over 150 groups and developed philanthropy training programs for many nonprofits. He has taught thousands of fundraisers, professional advisors, board members and philanthropists how to use a donor-centered approach to integrate philanthropic goals with tax, estate and financial planning. A recent attendee to one of his sessions wrote in her evaluation, "I was struck by his breadth of knowledge, professional expertise and at the same time his ability to convey abstract concepts in easy to understand lay terms. Brian is warm, funny and very generous with information. Once you have met him, he is a friend and the "go-to" person for advice."
Brian is a past board member of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP), the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey and PPP of Greater Philadelphia. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Gift Planning, the flagship gift planning magazine published by PPP and is a past editorial board member and contributor to Planned Giving Mentor. He has been published in Planned Giving Today and Planned Giving Tomorrow and cited in numerous publications including Advancing Philanthropy, CASE Currents and the Chronicle of Philanthropy, among others. He is also a contributor and consultant to plannedgiving.com. His first book, with co-author Robert Wahlers, The Philanthropic Planning Companion: Your Guide to Advising Today's Wealthy, is due for release by Wiley in the spring of 2012.
A strategic thinker, Brian specializes in helping charities develop integrated, donor-centered philanthropic planning programs, either from the ground up -- using his Gift Planning Essentials program, or enhancing existing programs, and then assisting in implementation of the needed elements.
When not working, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters. He has also been seen singing in a barbershop chorus, refinishing furniture, swinging a golf club or tennis racquet and watching the occasional baseball game.
Professional Involvements
Partnership for Philanthropic Planning
Member, 1998-Present
Editorial Board, Journal of Gift Planning, 2008-Present
Board Member, 2008-2010
Revenue Task Force, 2009-2010
Web 2.0 Task Force, 2009-2010
Leadership Assembly, 2006-2009
PPP Conference Task Force, 2008-2009
Gift Planner Profile Advisory Task Force, 2007
Conference Committee, 2006
Gift Planning Council of New Jersery
Member, 2003-2009
Board Member, 2003-2008
Gift Planning Conference of New Jersey Co-Chair, 2007 & 2008
Gift Planning Conference of New Jersey Sponsorship Chair, 2004-2006
Co-Chair, Leave a Legacy New Jersey, 2003-2005
PPP of Greater Philadelphia
Member, 2004-2009
Board Member, 2007-2008
Mentorship Chair, Education Committee, 2007-2008
Leave a Legacy Committee, 2004-2008
Other Involvements
Member, Gift Planning Group of Northeastern New York, 2009-Present
Member, Planned Giving Council of Upstate New York, 2009-Present
Member, Association of Fundraising Professionals of Central New York, 2010-Present
Sponsor, American Council on Gift Annuities, 2010-Present
Member, International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy (AiP), 2009-2010
Editorial Board, Planned Giving Mentor Newsletter, 2008-2009
Member, Philadelphia Estate Planning Council, 2004-2008
Member, CASE, 1998-2003, 2004-2008
Member, Estate and Financial Planning Council of Central New Jersey, 2003-2005
Member, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, 2003-2005
Member, Planned Giving Group of New England, 1999-2003
Mentoring Committee, Planned Giving Group of New England, 1999-2003
Member, Upper Valley Planned Giving Council, 2001-2003
Coordinator, Middlebury Planned Giving Officers Conference, 2001-2003
Board of Directors, International Philanthropic Foundation of Middlebury College, 2001-2003
Recently Conducted Seminars Planned Giving Council of Indian River, Making the Case for Philanthropic Planning, 2011 Treasure Coast Planning Giving Council, Making the Case for Philanthropic Planning, 2011 Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council, How Changing Demographics Impact Charities and Advisors, 2011 PPP of Greater Philadelphia, Leveraging the 2010 Tax Act, 2011 Leave a Legacy of Central New York, How to Make the Ask, 2011 Southwest Florida PG Council, Partnering with Advisors to Work with the Next Gen. of Philanthropists, 2011 Southwest Florida PG Council, Partnering with Charities to Work with the Next Gen. of Philanthropists, 2011 PPP of Tampa Bay, Impact of Donor Demographics on Charity-Advisor Collaboration, 2011 Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Administration & Management, Intro to Gift Planning, 2011 48th International Conference on Fundraising (AFP), Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2011
National Capital Gift Planning Council, Impact of Changing Generational Cohorts on Fundraising, 2011
National Capital Gift Planning Council, Gift Planning for Principal Gift Prospects, 2011
Georgia Planned Giving Council, The 2010 Tax Act and Your Changing Donor-Base, 2011
New York State Society of CPAs, Utica Chapter, Three Flavors of Family Philanthropy, 2010
National Conference on Philanthropic Planning, Reaching Your Gift Planning Goals with Volunteers, 2010
Gift Planning Council of New Jersey, What Philanthropic Planning Means for Your Career, 2010
47th International Conference on Fundraising (AFP), A Case for Legacy Gifts, 2010
47th International Conference on Fundraising (AFP), Putting Your Gift Policies in Order, 2010
AFP of Massachusetts Conference on Philanthropy, Donor-Centered Philanthropic Planning, 2009
AFP of NJ Conference on Philanthropy, Understanding Donor-Centered Philanthropic Planning, 2009
Stakeholders Foundation, Developing a Personal Philanthropic Plan, 2009
ILLOWA PPP, Family Wealth Planning-5 Questions Donors Should Ask Before Seeing Their Advisors, 2009
National Conference on Philanthropic Planning, Gifts of Complex Assets and Planned Giving Marketing, 2009
National Conference on Philanthropic Planning, Writing the Case for Future Giving (Lab), 2009
PPP of Philadelphia, Impact of Changing Generational Cohorts on Individual Giving, 2009
Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable, Putting Your Gift Policies in Order, 2009
National Capital Gift Planning Conference, How to ID Prospects, Schedule Visits and Ask for Bequests, 2009
Planned Giving Conference at Kanuga, Donor-Centered Philanthropic Planning in the 21st Century, 2009
Planned Giving Conference at Kanuga, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2009
Gift Planning Conference of NJ, Introducing Philanthropic Planning Into Donor Conversations, 2009
Collaborative Alliance, Through the Lens of the Donor, Funding for Now and the Future Panel, 2009
New England Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2009
Association of International Education Administrations: The Art and Soul of Fundraising, 2009
AFP of Eastern PA, Philanthropic Planning 102: Increasing Income in Retirement, 2008
AFP of Eastern PA, Philanthropic Planning 101: How to Ask for Bequests, 2008
Planned Giving Group of CT, Introducing Philanthropic Planning Into Prospect Conversations, 2008
Investment Management Consultants Association, Impact of Donor-Centered Fundraising, 2008
Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Conference, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2008
Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Conference, Putting Your Gift Policies in Order, 2008
Planned Giving Day in Philadelphia, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2008
Wachovia Gift Planning Conference, Donor-Centered Fundraising, 2008
Partnership for Philanthropic Planning Virtual Seminar, Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2008
Chesapeake Planned Giving Council, Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2008
AFP of Greater Philadelphia, Putting Your Gift Policies in Order, 2008
National Capital Gift Planning Conference, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2008
National Capital Gift Planning Conference, Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2008
Planned Giving Group of New England, Starting a Donor-Centered Gift Planning Program, 2008
The Planned Giving Course, Gift Planning Marketing, Spring 2008 and Winter 2008
Guest Lecturer, Philanthropy & Fundraising Tools for Nonprofit Managers, UPenn, 2008
Chattanooga Planned Giving Council, Marketing for Young Gift Planning Programs, 2008
AFP-Philadelphia, Franklin Forum, Starting a Donor-Centered Gift Planning Program, 2008
AFP-Brandywine, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2008
AFP of Eastern Pennsylvania, Legacy Giving Building Blocks, 2007
Planned Giving Day in Philadelphia, Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2007
Planned Giving Day in Philadelphia, Avoiding Gift Planning Pitfalls, 2007
National Conference on Planned Giving, Donor-Centered Gift Planning Marketing, 2007
Quaker Fundraising Conference, Preparing Donors to Work with Advisors, 2007
Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia, Working with Advisors Panel, 2007
AFP New Jersey, Building an Integrated Gift Planning Program, 2007
Guest Lecturer, Philanthropy & Fundraising Tools for Nonprofit Managers, UPenn, 2007
Gift Planning Council of New Jersey Nuts and Bolts, 2007
CASE District I & II Regional Conference, 2007
AFP of Eastern Pennsylvania Philanthropy Day, 2006
Planned Giving Council of Upstate New York, 2006
AFP New Jersey Conference on Philanthropy, 2006
Christine L. Sagrestano
Director of Client Services
christine@giftplanningdevelopment.com
Christine L. Sagrestano received a B.S. from Cornell University with a combined degree specializing in Communications, Education and Sociology. She started her career in the non-profit sector as a training evaluation coordinator for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, based in South Bend, Indiana at the University of Notre Dame. Christine developed a strong background in human resources and search while working for Nissan Motor Corporation as a human resources administrator. Later, she served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Flood Search of New Jersey, Inc.
Together with Brian, Christine formed Gift Planning Development in 2007 to bring an innovative approach to gift planning executive search. While most search firms focus exclusively on calling contacts in the industry to try and fill development positions, Gift Planning Development’s proprietary Gift Planning Match service includes a complete assessment of the organization and its gift planning capacity, the search and hire, an implementation plan and finally six months of ongoing consulting in support of the new hire. This approach maximizes the benefits of the search process and ensures the gift planning effort will succeed.
When not working with clients, Christine is known for spending hours in her kitchen creating candy and desserts from scratch. She also enjoys reading and spending time with Brian and their three daughters.
