Questions to Start Gift Planning Conversations.

Speaker: Gregory J. Sharkey, J.D. Senior Philanthropic Advisory, The Nature Conservancy & Board Chair, Partnership for Philanthropic Planning Greg will be speaking with our Council on what he likes to refer to as “the softer side of gift planning.” The title of his talk is “Questions to Start Gift Planning Conversations”. Specifically, Greg will share a number of questions for donors that often lead to conversations that result in charitable gifts. He will illustrate how these questions eventually led to gifts through a series of brief stories, and will invite attendees to share their stories as well. Greg Sharkey serves as Senior Philanthropy Advisor for The Nature Conservancy. He assists donors across the country with their philanthropic goals, and shares ideas to achieve those goals as part of their overall financial and estate plans. Greg also counsels donors on the features, benefits and limitations of charitable giving platforms like Donor Advised Funds and Private Foundations. Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy in January 2008, he served as Director of Planned Giving/Senior Development Officer at his alma mater, Denison University. Greg directed all aspects of Denison’s well-established planned giving program, and managed a traditional portfolio of major gift prospects as well. He was a trial lawyer and partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Sweeney, Sheehan and Spencer prior to his career in philanthropy. Greg is a graduate of Denison University (1984) and Villanova University School of Law (1987). Greg currently serves as Chair of the Board at the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. He lives on a small farm in the idyllic college town of Granville, Ohio with his wife, Ginny, and their four children, twelve chickens, and two enormous Great Danes.