Giving Magazine

Featured Cover Stories

Harvard University

$17K painting, $4M gift. McClintock: 30 years, plain talk.

Anne McClintock arrived at Harvard in 1986 from corporate banking, knowing nothing about fundraising. Thirty years later, she's led the planned giving program through two capital campaigns, helped pioneer the first "flip" unitrust, and turned a couple's $17,000 painting into a $4 million gift. Her advice after decades working with some of the most successful people in the world? "Even the most savvy, hard-nosed businessperson is just a person. It's still best to speak simply and clearly. The details can all come later."

National Philanthropic Trust

$5M to $7.6B. Heisman: 24 years, no work-life balance.

Eileen Heisman started at NPT when there were two employees and $5 million in assets. Twenty-four years later, she leads a team of 86 managing $7.6 billion in charitable assets, with over $6 billion granted to causes worldwide. In this profile, she reflects on the parents who shaped her, the pivot moment when a $650K bequest check changed her career, and why she doesn't believe in work-life balance.

Franciscan Missionary Union

One Holy Week funeral. Decades later, she left everything.

"People really, really trust us," says Fr. David Convertino, Executive Director of the Franciscan Missionary Union. That trust runs deep. One 89-year-old widow called him to discuss leaving her estate to the friars — ten minutes after her friend died. Why? Decades earlier, when no Catholic church would perform her husband's funeral during Holy Week, a Franciscan church said yes. "She never forgot that. Then years and years later she left us everything." It's the kind of loyalty you can't manufacture — only earn.

Sandra Pollack of the Daughters of the American Revolution on the cover of GIVING Magazine

DAR

$100 saved in a teacup. Pollack: no minimums, no gatekeeping.

People assume DAR members are wealthy. Sandra Pollack lays that to rest. A young Daughter approached with worn bills — months saved in a teacup to hit $100. "That day I knew my job was to make it easier for all donors to make a difference." Pollack joined DAR in 2012 after 40 years in the trenches — delivering wheelchairs from her Mercury Cougar down frozen Pennsylvania roads, running telethons. Her mission: kill the transactional mindset. Monthly giving from $5 to $150. No minimums. No gatekeeping. "The rising tide lifts all boats."

Stuart SUllivan of Shriners on the cover of GIVING Magazine

Shriners Hospitals

Treated as a toddler in the '30s. Major donor by her 90s.

Shriners has operated a network of pediatric hospitals for over 100 years, treating children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft palate — regardless of a family's ability to pay. That century-long commitment creates multi-generational loyalty. Carol was a patient in the 1930s; her treatment as a toddler enabled her to walk. Decades later, she and her middle-class husband started giving — under $100 at first. After visiting a hospital, they set up ten charitable gift annuities in their 70s and 80s. She passed away last year in her early 90s, having gone from patient to major donor. "It all goes full circle," says CDO Stuart Sullivan.

Navy Seal Museum

$1.2M from 1,200 SEALs. Kim Rhinehelder led the charge.

"If SEALs lead the efforts… then we will follow." That donor insight drove Kim Rhinehelder's Plank Owner Campaign: each graduating class challenged to raise $5,000, with their class number etched on a bronze statue. Lead from the Front. One donor gave $100,000 to cover Classes 1–19, honoring men who'd passed. A Gold Star Mother gave for her fallen son. Class 49 exceeded their goal by 2,368%. Final tally: $1.2M from 1,200 SEALs worldwide. "Now when donors ask if SEALs think this museum matters," says Rhinehelder, "we have one of the most impressive narratives to share."

White Horse Village

$6.5M bequest. Susan Abtouche planted the seed.

When Ginner Mueller's husband was dying of cancer, over 100 neighbors took turns driving her to the hospital. "She said she would never forget it." She didn't. In 2019, Ginner told Susan Abtouche — the new VP brought in to build a planned giving program — that she'd be leaving $6.5 million to White Horse Village. The largest gift in the organization's history. Ginner passed in 2023. Her bequest fully secured the Resident Reserve Fund, guaranteeing no resident will ever lose their home for outliving their resources. "Planned giving isn't an overnight success," says Abtouche. "It's an orchard, not an annual garden."

Wisconsin Humane

40,000 animals a year. Lizzie Covington on how it keeps running.

The Wisconsin Humane Society has been rescuing animals since 1879 — and their first shelter was built in 1926 with a bequest. Today they serve 40,000 animals annually across six counties and place more than 13,000 in homes. VP of Development Lizzie Covington explains how the pandemic revealed just how critical legacy gifts had become. Her team overhauled their planned giving systems, cut estate gift processing time in half, and launched "Lattes & Legacies" — coffee shop chats with puppies during Estate Planning Awareness Week.

GOSUMEC Foundation

Zero staff. $1M raised. Dr. Sanjay Bindra.

Dr. Sanjay Bindra planned to give $150,000 to the Indian medical school where he met his wife. Instead, he started a nonprofit. With no alumni association, the busy cardiac electrophysiologist built the database himself — social media, word of mouth, reunions in six cities. Zero staff. Zero overhead. By the end of 2024: $1,052,088 in assets, 400% of goal, and a perpetual scholarship endowment — the first of its kind for Indian medical schools. "Small and mighty," he says.

Meals on Wheels

"We call them partners." Coal Creek doubled revenue by meaning it.

"We don't call them donors — we call them partners." That shift drove Coal Creek Meals on Wheels to double contributed revenue in four years. Executive Director Nate Broeckert sends personalized thank-you videos to every new donor — regardless of gift size. Every acknowledgment letter gets a handwritten note. One donor jumped from $2K to $10K annually. Another shifted all philanthropic giving to Coal Creek. Their explanation? "I have shifted all my support to your organization because of how grateful you seem."

GIVING Magazine was created for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders who want to learn from what actually works — not theory, not trends, and not recycled advice.

Each issue features real campaigns, thoughtful leadership decisions, and smart strategies shared by professionals willing to explain their process and results.

This magazine exists to help fundraisers learn from one another — and to give leadership teams the insight they need to make better decisions.

— Patrick O’Donnell, Editor

Past & Present Contributors

Adam Fazio, Benefactor Group

Adam Morgan, MVP Advisors

Aguanetta Betts, George Mason University

Allen Thomas, Thomas Charitable Advisors

Anne McClintock, Harvard University

Ben Madonia, Hamilton College

Beth Kanter, The Smart Nonprofit / Happy Healthy Nonprofit

Brad Caswell, Acadia Squam Group

Brent West, High Peaks Alliance

Brent West, Highpoint Alliance

Brian Marquez, Southern Scholarship Foundation

Brian Saber, Asking Matters

Cam Kelly, Duke University

Camilyn Leone, University of Virginia Law

Cassandra Grimes, English Hudson Consulting

Catherine Pulkrabek, L’evate Non-Profit Consultants

Chelsea Brown, Outlier Media

Cheryl Mott Smith, Kairos Trust

Chris Needles, Wounded Warrior Project

Claire Axelrad, Clairification

Cole Eason, Truman Heartland Community Foundation

Conrad Teitell, Taxwise Giving

Courtney Backen, GiveMN

Craig Shelley, Carey & Co.

Creal Zearing, Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts

Cynthia Pritchard, State System Foundation

Dan Miller, Navy Seabee Foundation

Dan Rice, Alliance Community Foundation

Dan Rice, 4Alliance Community Foundation

Daniel Burgner, The George Washington University

Daniel Minich, CSU Pueblo Foundation

Daniel P. Condoluci-Smith, Humane Animal Partners

Dale Keshishian, HealthWorks Academies

Deb Havighorst, Prairie State College Foundation

Debbie Shupp, The Parkesburg Point

Dennis Carlson, General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists

Dennis Haber, Ziglar Legacy / Don’t Play With Fire

Dien Yuen, Daylight Advisors

Dolores Nypaver, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh

Doris Parent, Philadelphia Orchestra

Dwayne Walton, The Parkesburg Point

Ed Cable, Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Eddie Thompson, Thompson and Associates

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Kronstadt Consulting

Elizabeth Racheva, The Phillips Collection

Elizabeth Thompson, World Relief

Ellen Jones, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Emily Wills, Madison Reading Project

Erin Lawson, United Way of Frederick County

Gary Bukowski, Sarah A Reed Children’s Center

Gail Perry, Gail Perry Group

Heidi Bagwell, Easter Seals Midwest

Jack Duggan, Launch Legacy Consulting

James Gold, Accordant Health

James Salley, Africa University

Jan Rich, For the Love of Cats

Jane Danek, Princeton University

Jennifer Amarnick, Jupiter Medical Center Foundation

Jennifer Green, Alpha Bravo Canine

Jeff Cline, ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter

Jeff Comfort, Oregon State University

Jeff Mueller, American Heart Association

Jeffrey W. Cline, ALS United Mid-Atlantic

Jessica Gottlieb, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation

Jim Langley, Langley Innovations

Jim Murphy, Episcopal Church Foundation

Joe Anderson, Lutheran Life Communities Foundation

Joe Garecht, Garecht & Associations

Joe Tumolo, Donor Centric Fundraising

John Lepp, Agents of Good

John Nersesian, PIMCO

Johnne Syverson, Charitable Giving Resource Center

Josefa Bethea-Wall, Africa University, Inc.

Jory Barrad, The Pathway School

Judy Frazier, We The Kids, Inc

Kara Robertson, Prism Philanthropy

Karla Aho, Michigan Technological University

Kathryn Miree, Kathryn W. Miree & Associates, Inc.

Keith Jameson, Dementia Society of America

Kevin L. Brown, Fundable and Findable

Kenneth Meifert, National Baseball Hall of Fame

Kyle Rhinehelder, Navy SEAL Museum

Larry Chinn, New Life Church

Larry Raff, Copley Raff

Laura Alpert, MAB Community Services

Laura MacDonald, Benefactor Group

Leigh Brown Perkins, Blackbaud

Linda Garrison, Acuity Consulting

Lizzie Covington, Wisconsin Humane Society

Lynn Brynes, The Bryn Mawr School

Lynn Elsken Brynes, The Bryn Mawr School

Lynn Ierardi, University of Pennsylvania

Marc Pitman, Concord Leadership Group

Marilyn Van Houten, NYU Langone Health

Marlo Schalesky, Wonder Wood Ranch

Mark Mills, Smithsonian Institution

Mark Seeley, Reformed Theological Seminary

Mark Troyer, Asbury University

Marcus Ippolito, Community FoodBank of New Jersey

Marjorie Parker, JobsFirstNYC

Mary Paxton, JumpStart Inc.

Matt Sleezer, Kaleida Health Foundation

Melissa Braillard, WUCF TV & WUCF FM

Megan Simmons, Benefactor Group

Meredith Sossman, MM&C Consulting

Michael Einbinder-Schatz, Life Lessons Collective

Michelle Aquino Mooney, Philanthropy.org / Rise Against Suicide

Michelle Gollapalli, ECRI Institute

Michelle Khateri, Pacific Charter Academy

Mike Esposito, Fundraising Consultant / Mike Esposito Fundraising

Mindy Aleman, Kent State University

Nancy Fridman, Fridman Strategies

Nate Broeckert, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels

Nathan Alvarez, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Nigel Allen, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation

Patience Boudreaux, Rideout Foundation

Patrick O’Donnell, GIVING Magazine / Philanthropy.org

Paul Chip Hurd, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley

Paul Weaver, Akron Zoo

Paul Yeghiayan, American University of Armenia / AFP Global

Pazit Levitan, The Path to Impact

Penelope Burk, Cygnus Applied Research, Inc.

Petrina Williams, Susan B. Anthony

Phil Bloyd, SAR Foundation

Rhett Wilson, White House Historical Association

Rebecca Locke, American Red Cross

Rebecca Price-Janney, Author

Rebecca Watkins, National Park Foundation

Richard Olson, Shriners Children

Ron Smith, ViTreo Group / AFP Calgary

Roxanne Smith, University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation

Russell James, Texas Tech University

Ryan Park, Upbring

Sam Samuels, Smith College

Sandra Pollack, Daughters of the American Revolution

Sara Bastiani, Queen of Green

Scott Janney, The Salvation Army

Scott Lumpkin, Scott R. Lumpkin & Associates

Scott Thomas, Stewardship Matters, Inc.

Seetha Aiyar, Hindu American Foundation

Shannon Neblett, Heart of the Valley YMCA

Shari Hunter, Two & Company

Shelita G. Bourgeois, The National World War II Museum

Stuart Sullivan, Shriners Children

Steve Clark, Virginia Tech

Steve Grourke, The American College

Stephanie Cory, Stephanie Cory Consulting

Stephen Frey, Geneva College Foundation

Sue Harpole, St. Jude Children’s Hospital

Susan Campbell, Polk County Community Foundation

Suzanne Lutz, Robert Kennedy Center for Justice

Tania Yount, Barnabas Center

Todd Wenzel, WYZE / seCuREgift

Troy Nuss, Ronald McDonald House of Delaware

Vincent Robinson, The 360 Group

Wayne Lynch, Global School Consulting Group

Wayne Olson, Shriners Children

Wes Davis, West End Neighborhood House

William Curtis, CommonSpirit Health

Abby Shue

Bill Peterson, CarterBaldwin Executive Search

Brit Kelleher

Candice Jones Peelman

CarterBaldwin Executive Search

Coal Creek Meals on Wheels

David Simon, Insuring a Better World Fund

Dr. David Heetland, Garrett University

Elaine Welcome, FaithSearch Partners

Emily Marquez-Dulin

Eric Heininger

Greg Ellmer, RJBarnabas Health System

Jay & Cherie Duggan, Launch Planned Giving

Jennifer Seybold

Josefa E. Bethea Wall, Africa University

Kara Robertson

Katie Shults

Kim Johnson

Kim Rhinehelder, Navy Seals Museum

Lee Warnecke

Les Helmuth

Mark Mills

Megan Simmons, Benefactor Group

Nate Broeckert, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels

Nicolette Hylan-King, American Technion

Richard Radcliffe

Shelli Stevens

Steven Velardo, Diocese of Bridgeport

Susan Abtouche, White Horse Village

Tiffany Swinarski, Rutgers University

Vincent DiCaro

White Horse Village, Cover Feature

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Serious Thinking for Serious Fundraisers

Featured Cover Stories

Past & Present Contributors