Morning Session
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
"Strategies for Engaging Planned Giving Prospects"
Strategies for Engaging Planned Giving Prospects equips fundraisers with practical approaches for identifying and cultivating individuals who may be ready to consider a legacy gift. The session begins by outlining key indicators of strong planned giving prospects, including loyalty, long-term giving patterns, and personal alignment with the organization’s mission. Participants learn how to prioritize outreach and initiate conversations that build trust and open the door to values-based discussions about long‑term impact.
The session then focuses on relationship‑building techniques that deepen engagement over time, emphasizing curiosity, personalized stewardship, and connecting donor motivations to organizational needs. Guidance is provided on how to move naturally from cultivation to a planned giving solicitation, ensuring the ask is respectful, well‑timed, and grounded in the donor’s philanthropic goals.
Finally, participants explore strategies for stewarding new legacy donors, including maintaining meaningful communication, documenting commitments, and honoring the donor’s intentions. By the end, attendees will feel more confident navigating each stage of the planned giving process and fostering relationships that support their organization’s future.
Maribeth Przywara serves as the Director of Advancement at the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), where she partners with individuals, families, and advisors to create meaningful, strategic, and deeply personal philanthropic plans. With more than 18 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, she has helped secure many seven- and eight‑figure gifts, contributing over $100 million to strengthen communities across Delaware and Maryland.
Maribeth’s career includes leadership roles at Easterseals of Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Delaware Nature Society, and other mission‑driven organizations. Over the years, she has honed expertise in donor‑advised funds, estate and planned giving, donor stewardship, advanced philanthropic tools, and operational fundraising. She is known for her active listening, her ability to craft creative charitable solutions and her close and enduring relationships with donors and throughout Delaware’s nonprofit sector. Her approach to philanthropic advising is both thoughtful and practical, rooted in a genuine desire to help donors make a lasting impact.
She holds a BA in Organizational Leadership and an M.Ed. in Education. Maribeth has earned both the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) and Certified Fund‑Raising Executive (CFRE) designations.
Outside of work, Maribeth is happiest on the water, in the woods, playing board games, or laughing at a good comedy show. She also dedicates time to community service. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her husband, Rich, their two children, and their three beloved rescue dogs.
Luncheon Session
12:15 - 2:00 p.m.
"Gifts of Non-Cash Assets"
More than 90% of America’s wealth is held in assets and NOT cash. Does your organization say “no” to gifts of non-cash assets? Do you encourage your donors to consider non-cash gifts? While it’s easier in many ways to focus on gifts of cash, charities that encourage and accept gifts of non-cash assets raise more money. This fact has created a wave of interest in charitable gifts of non-cash assets. The latest tax law changes (effective in 2026) have also added to this interest as donors consider philanthropic opportunities and strategies. Both charities and donors can enjoy the benefits of a non-cash asset program that includes gifts of real estate, business interests, cryptocurrency, and more. In this session, you will hear about some unusual recent gifts, learn more about the steps you can take to build and manage a robust non-cash assets program, and position your organization to say “Yes!” to these gifts.
Lynn Malzone Ierardi, JD provides strategic guidance to donors, professional advisors, and charitable organizations as an independent consultant through her firm, Gift Planning Advisor, LLC. She also provides expertise around gifts of non-cash assets, serving as Vice President of Real Estate Gifts with Charitable Solutions, LLC.
Lynn has a proven track record of building programs that increase support for charities (particularly with planned gifts and major gifts of non-cash assets) at organizations that include NYU Langone Health, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine, and the American Heart Association. She also served as a strategic advisor with the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy and practiced trusts and estates and real estate law. She is a graduate of Lycoming College and Fordham University School of Law.
As a volunteer leader, Lynn’s roles include serving as a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (2019 Board Chair), CGP Leadership Institute, and CGP Mentor Program Committee (2026 Co-Chair). She has also held leadership positions with CGP Councils in New Jersey and Philadelphia.
An engaging speaker, Lynn has presented internationally at conferences, meetings, and webinars on a variety of estate and gift planning topics. One of her favorite topics is storytelling, which she explores in-depth in her book, Storytelling: The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success.
Dear Members, did you know that your Council gets charged for every meal we sign up for even if registrants do not show up? We are trying to be mindful of unnecessary and wasteful expenditures and would rather spend this money on educational and networking opportunities. So if you register for this program but can no longer attend, we require cancellation notification at least three (3) business day in advance of the program. Members who do not attend without notice will be charged a $25 no-show fee.
Thank you for your understanding and help in reducing food waste and unnecessary expenses.
