Crescendo celebrated its annual Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 23 and 24 in Chicago, Illinois. Friends from all across the nation joined Crescendo for the 2019 conference. They gathered to hear keynote speakers Amy Eisenstein and Pete Sommerfeld and an excellent line-up of the nation's top presenters. At the Monday luncheon, GiftLegacy Award winners were announced.
GiftLegacy Awards Announced at PPGC 2019
eMarketer of the Year Award
Congratulations to Kimberly Jetton, Director for Planned Giving at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who received the coveted Emarketer of the Year Award. Kimberly and her team have used Crescendo's GiftLegacy tools and services since 2015 and have raised over $74 Million in gifts!
Best GiftLegacy Website Award
The Best GiftLegacy Website Award was presented to CARE. Their gift planning website features a unique and tailored look with good use of textures, borders and dynamic content and branding. Congratulations also to Brescia University and DeSales University who received Honorable Mention in the website category.
Best GiftLegacy Literature Award
The Best GiftLegacy Literature Award was presented to the University of Arkansas for their beautifully branded suite of marketing materials. Honorable Mention in this category was awarded to University of Miami and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
GiftLeader Award
At the Tuesday luncheon, Brian Sagrestano received the 2019 GiftLeader Award for his outstanding leadership in Philanthropy. Brian is the founder of Gift Planning Development, LLC, as well as an author, public speaker and thought leader in the gift planning world.
New Groundbreaking Study by Kristen S. Jaarda
Just Released at PPGC: Reach, Recognize & Retain Your Best Donors
Crescendo's 2019 groundbreaking communications study — Reach, Recognize & Retain Your Best Donors — features donor gift trends and demographics based on never before released data from Crescendo's cloud software and integrated marketing system. Download our FREE 32-page study »
PPGC Highlights
What PPGC Attendees Said
“I just wanted to commend the Crescendo team for all of the work behind introducing the donor surveys and analytical modeling! I am so very excited to use both.”
“Great content! Great speakers! Love it when a conference meets and exceeds expectations.”
“Many thanks for another outstanding Conference! We left the conference with a bunch of positive take aways that we'll review this month. Again, thanks for your Gift Planning leadership, best tool bag in the industry!”
“As a seasonal Major Gifts Officer I've "outgrown" other fundraising conferences. I found my 1st PPGC incredibly educational, informative, organized and fun. Thank you for helping me expand confidence with sharing blended gift opportunities with our donors.”
“It was hard to pick from the sessions because they were all good and of interest to me.”
“Always comprehensive and thought out for a variety of topics with great speakers.”
“This was my first Crescendo event. I look forward to another.”
“Thanks for a great conference. You've given me a lot to think about!”
“PPGC is one of the best conferences I have attended so far in my career. The speakers I've had the pleasure of hearing are not only extremely knowledgeable but also very engaging. Their presentations incorporate personal stories and experiences that make the information accessible and I now want to know more.”
“I so enjoyed my experience. I was very impressed with the newest Crescendo tools and am grateful for your efforts and leadership.”
“I appreciated the detailed information in each sessions that was immediately actionable when we get back to work.”
“The Blended Gift emphasis is very appropriate for my situation right now with our $10M campaign.”
“The conference was very well-planned, credible, with knowledgeable speakers and a welcoming atmosphere!”
“The format/schedule was great. Speakers were very knowledgeable and it was a good mix of topics. The other attendees were great to talk to. Thanks for a great conference.”
“PPGC provided ample opportunity for content that was advanced and best in class.”
PPGC 2020 in San Diego
We look forward to seeing you at next year's Practical Planned Giving Conference. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for PPGC 2020 on September 21-22 at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa in San Diego.