Crescendo Announcements

Register Today for the 2012 Practical Planned Giving Conference!

2012-02-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

Join us for Crescendo's 9th annual Practical PlannedGiving Conference in Orlando at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort on September17-18! Click here to viewthe PPGC 2012 video.

The theme for the conference is Innovative Marketing. Our keynote speakersHolly Ross, President of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), and SteveMacLaughlin, Director of Internet Solutions at Blackbaud, will discuss thefuture of nonprofit technology and share new ideas that will transform yourplanned gifts marketing.

Join us for this once a year opportunity featuring the industry's top speakerson the most cutting-edge topics in planned giving. Experience two full days,six tracks and 48 breakout sessions on Innovative Marketing, Bequest Marketing,MegaGifts, Fundamentals, Gift Annuities and eMarketing. For additionaltraining, sign-up for one of five instructional seminars offered the day after!

Learn more and register now for Early Bird pricing at www.practicalpgc.com. While you arevisiting our site, be sure to click on the "Like" button and sharethis information with your friends. We hope to see you there!

Visit Us at the Big 12 Conference in Kansas City, MO!

2012-02-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

Will you be at the Big 12 Development Conference inKansas City, MO next week, March 5-7? If so, be sure to stop by our booth!Tyler Bacon will be there ready toshow you the latest innovations in planned giving! He can teach you how totransform your bequest marketing to obtain the best results. If you would like to set up a meeting with Tyler please feel free to email him at tyler@cresmail.com or call our office at 800-858-9154.

Sign up Today to Learn More About Social Media and GiftCharity

2012-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

You are invited to join a GiftLegacy webinar on two innovative GiftLegacy features, Social Media and GiftCharity, using CresManager. Learn about the latest trends in how Social Media is being used for development/fundraising efforts. During this webinar, you will see examples of best practices from actual organizations. Then learn how CresManager can help you get started in your social media goals.

Also learn how a GiftLegacy organization with a more mature planned giving program now has the GiftCharity feature to support their affiliates. Many GiftLegacy Pro subscribers have affiliated smaller organizations who do not have a full-time gift planner but have boards, major donors and friends. With a GiftCharity web page, literature, eNewsletters and the optional Provide & Protect book, these smaller affiliates can enjoy the benefits of a high-quality bequest and planned gifts marketing program.

Who should attend? Gift planners and development staff who have access to your CresManager account for GiftLegacy 3.0 will be very pleased with these new capabilities.

The next CresManager webinar is Thursday, March 22 from 9:00 to 9:40 am Pacific Time (10:00 am MST, 11:00 am CST, 12:00 pm EST).

Click here to sign up.

Attend the Business Planning Seminar!

2012-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

American corporations now have record cash levels. Thousands of your business owner friends have been waiting to decide when the best time is to sell and retire. Plus, there are reasonable prospects for business sales in 2012.

This may the best year in the past decade for business owner charitable gifts. All three factors will lead business owners to consider a sale this year. Your best opportunity for a major planned gift is when your business owner friends retire.

The Crescendo Business Planning Seminar will cover all of the business ownership types and explain how to set up major charitable gifts. For most owners, a variation of the Sale and Unitrust will be the solution. But you need to be able to discuss the latest income, gift and estate taxes with the CPA and Attorney to close these gifts. Come to the Business Planning Seminar to learn how the 2012 tax rules can help you close major gifts from Business Owners.

This seminar will be held in our offices in Camarillo, California on March 19-20. For more information and a complete list of seminar topics, please click here. You will receive 12 hours CE credit for attending this session. To register, call 1-800-858-9154 or sign up online.

Sign Up to Learn More About the Online Wills Planner

2012-01-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

Join us for a complimentary Provide and Protect webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy 3.0 Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the ability to plan their wills and make bequests online. Development staff, board members and gift planners will enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide and Protect Webinar is on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register for the event, click here.

Attend a Bequest Boom Seminar!

2012-01-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Bequest Boom seminar starts by highlighting the opportunity to reach both seniors and the 78 million baby boomers. It then covers the seven features of a 2011 gift planning website. The seven features of GiftLegacy 3.0 include:

1. Fresh Weekly Content

2. Branding Control and Messaging

3. Gift Closing For Attorneys/CPAs

4. Online Wills Planner

5. Provide & Protect Multimedia Book

6. Donor Relationship Manager

7. GiftAttorney Pro

Attendees will have opportunity to explore all these new 2011 features and the GiftLegacy Member Manager. In just one day you will be able to develop a plan to take your bequest marketing to an entirely new level with the seven capabilities that will transform bequest marketing.

To sign up click here or feel free to give us a call 800-858-9154.

Come Learn About Major Gifts and Great Lead Trusts

2012-01-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

Withthe record low AFRs, there is greatly expanded opportunity in 2012 for leadtrusts. Plus, as the markets recover in 2012, your donors will be interested inIRA and qualified plan gifts.

Join us for a lively two-day Advanced Seminar. First, with the large gift andestate applicable exclusion amounts ($5.12 million for 2012), nearly all yourdonors will be able to use the testamentary unitrust with no estate taxconcern. Because this is often funded with IRAs or other qualified plans, thereare excellent prospects for large numbers of "Give It Twice" trustsunder the expanded estate exemptions.

Second, large estate owners now know that they face estate taxes. With AFRs atvery low levels and asset values reasonable, it is a great time for large leadtrusts.

Third, income tax planning will continue to increase in importance forupper-income taxpayers. The ability for unitrusts to be invested to pay"low-tax" income is greater than ever.

All three areas will be covered at the Crescendo AdvancedSeminar on February 6-7 in our offices in Camarillo, California. To workwith major donors and their advisors in 2012, you will need to understand howto present and close major gifts under the dramatically-changed estate laws.

To register for this powerful seminar, click here and sign up online orcall 800-858-9154. We look forward to seeing you!

IRA Rollover for 2012 - Not Yet Passed

2012-01-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

InDecember of 2010, Congress extended the IRA charitable rollover for years 2010and 2011. The current law expired Dec. 31, 2011. At present, there is no IRAcharitable rollover for 2012.

Each year since 2006 Congress has permitted a charitable IRA rollover of up to$100,000 for IRA owners over age 70½. This and about 40 other "taxextenders" are passed each year. However, in 2010 the passage was inDecember, but retroactive to January 1 of that year.

Will the IRA rollover pass again in 2012? It seems likely because other taxextenders have been passed for 20 consecutive years and the IRA charitablerollover is quite popular. However, a tax bill with the tax extenders and otherprovisions may be delayed for political reasons until after the Novemberelection.

Once we hear that the IRA rollover has passed again we will prepare a new IRA charitable rollover marketing plan for later in 2012 and will be sure to notify you. We all hope Congress will cooperate in this effort.

Crescendo's Studio in Action!

2011-12-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

Crescendo's studio has been completed! Charles and Kristen use Crescendo's new studio for the first time to tape updates for GiftCollege videos. If you are intersted in taking GiftCollege classes click here to learn more.

Don't Miss This Great Opportunity! Sign Up for the Internet Marketing Seminar Today!

2011-12-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

Come join us in sunny Camarillo, CA on January 17-18, 2012 and learn how you can boost your planned gifts and bequests! Explore design characteristics of successful planned giving websites, interactivity, eNewsletters, video and marketing literature. Learn about the tools for increasing contacts, managing email lists and securing long-term relationships with donors, GiftAttorneys and more!

The tools that are necessary to meet the demands of the 74 million baby boomers online today include:

1) An Online Wills Planner

2) Fresh Content and Mission Videos on your website

3) Unique Branding and Messaging ability

4) Online DRM (Donor Relationship Management) which allows you to uniquely communicate with your donors in a safe and professional way

5) Provide & Protect Seminars - a complete strategy for bequest marketing

6) Gift Illustrating Software - to help you close those gifts

7) Extensive and flexible use of Royalty-free Literature

8) GiftAttorney Pro - for reaching professional advisors

To attend the Internet Marketing Seminar and learn about all of these tools please click here.

Also, be sure to stay an extra day (January 19, 2012) and learn how to customize your GiftLegacy brochures and print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar.

GiftLaw Users Act Fast! Don't Miss Out on this Special Promotion!

2011-12-01T08:22:00.001-08:00

Upgrade to a Better, Smarter, Low-Cost Marketing System for Your Donors…

As a GiftLaw subscriber you already enjoy the benefits of GiftLaw as a way to network and build relationships with professional advisors. Pair that with the new GiftLegacy 3.0 and you have a winning combination for multiplying bequests and other planned gifts from your donors.

Now is the time to upgrade to the fully integrated GiftLegacy marketing system for both donors and professionals. GiftLegacy 3.0, which incorporates the tools necessary to meet the demands of the 74 million baby boomers online today, features Crescendo's newest innovations including education for your boards of directors, a management system for your field staff on the road and ways to connect and work with smaller affiliated organizations through GiftCharity.

Here are some of the features that make GiftLegacy 3.0 the only comprehensive eMarketing solution for planned gifts:

1) An Online Wills Planner to facilitate donor wills and bequests to your organization
2) Fresh Content and a custom Mission Video on your website
3) Unique Branding and Messaging capabilities via your webpage, eNewsletters, eBlasts and print materials
4) Weekly eNewsletters for donors and advisors with analytics to track your success
5) Online DRM (Donor Relationship Management) which allows you to uniquely communicate with your donors in a safe and professional way
6) Provide and Protect Seminars - a complete strategy for bequest marketing!
7) Gift Illustrating Software - to help you close those gifts!
8) Extensive and flexible use of Royalty-free Literature (print newsletters, brochures, postcards, ads, briefs and more)
9) GiftAttorney Pro - for reaching professional advisors

You can experience these tools online at www.giftplanning.com. Act now and take advantage of a $500 discount on this year's service agreement when you sign-up before December 31, 2011.

If you have questions or want to learn more about our special promotion for GiftLaw users, please feel free to call us at 800-858-9154 and ask for one of our planned giving specialists.

Market Gift Annuities with an eBlast Before Rates Drop!

2011-11-30T08:49:00.001-08:00

Takeadvantage of a limited window of opportunity to market gift annuities beforethe ACGA rates drop on January 1, 2012. A new eBlast is available forGiftLegacy subscribers to market gift annuities and help donors lock-in highfixed-payments before the end of the year. GiftLegacy subscribers may accessthis eBlast in the eNewsletter section of www.cresmanager.com.If you have questions, please contact your GiftLegacy marketing specialist at1-800-858-9154. Don't delay in marketing gift annuities this December!

New American Council on Gift Annuity (ACGA) Rates for 2012

2011-11-18T11:19:00.001-08:00

TheBoard of Directors of ACGA announced that gift annuity rates will change onJanuary 1, 2012. The new rates for senior annuitants will be 0.5% to 0.8% lowerthan the previous schedule. To view the 2012 rates, click here.

The primary factor in reducing the rates is a lower yield on the ten-yearTreasury bond. During the past year, the yield changed from 3.3% in January tobelow 2.0% in October. With the ongoing issues over the Euro, there is acontinued cash "flight to safety" of Treasury bonds. This may lead toeven lower Treasury bond yields by late 2012.

Because the ACGA gift annuity reserve portfolio assumes 40% equities, 55% bondsor fixed income and 5% cash, a reduction in bond yields changes the totalassumed return. The new assumed return will be 4.25% with a 1% load, for a netreturn of 3.25%.

The new rates will pass the Sec. 514(c)(5) minimum 10% charitable deductiontest. The target minimum deduction is at least 20%. One life rates are cappedat 9.0% at age 90. The rates above age 80 are adjusted to provide a greatermargin of safety.

Editor's Note: In a time of great changes in interest rates, the ACGA Board hasbeen responsible in updating rates. While everyone hopes that rates will bestable for the future, it is important for both donors and charities (who willreceive the residuum) that gift annuity rates are fair and realistic. With thecontinued low CD rates, 2012 gift annuities for our senior friends areextremely attractive.

Learn How to Effectively Use Literature to Market to Your Donors

2011-11-17T16:53:00.001-08:00

You are invited to join a GiftLegacy webinar on literature cross marketing using CresManager.  In the updated GiftLegacy, you have over 200 literature items that can be personalized and printed royalty-free.Brochures, quarterly newsletters, briefs, ads, articles and other literature is available on your CresManager site.  Just select your desired item, modify the files using InDesign and send out for printing.

Best of all, the GiftLegacy literature is designed to work together with your web site and eNewsletter.  You can create mini-campaigns that increase your response rates for bequests, gift annuities and IRA charitable rollovers.

Who should attend?  Gift planners and development staff who have access to your CresManager account for GiftLegacy 3.0 will be very pleased with these new capabilities.

The next CresManager webinar is Thursday, December 15, 2011 from 9:00 to 9:40 am Pacific Time (10:00 am MST, 11:00 am CST, 12:00 pm EST).

To register click here.

Sign Up Today to Learn How to Reach Your Boomer Donors!

2011-11-13T20:18:00.001-08:00

Join us for a complimentary Provide and Protect webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy 3.0 Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the ability to plan their wills and make bequests online. Development staff, board members and gift planners will enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide and Protect Webinar is on Thursday, December 15 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register click here.

Sign up for the Bequest Boom Seminar Today!

2011-10-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

1. Fresh Weekly Content

2. Branding Control and Messaging

3. Gift Closing For Attorneys/CPAs

4. Online Wills Planner

5. Provide & Protect Multimedia Book

6. Donor Relationship Manager

7. GiftAttorney Pro

eNewsletter Branding and Donor Tracking

2011-10-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

In GiftLegacy 3.0, you have options to brand your eNewsletter headers and footers.  Many charities use the eNewsletter header to offer the Wills Planner or share mission-related information that motivates your donors.  You will want to benefit from learning how to modify your eNewsletters for maximum response.

You also have powerful tracking capabilities.  Donors who receive the weekly e-mails and click through to your website are tracked by name, e-mail address and location.  You may use this tracking report to make contacts or to offer other services.

The updated CresManager has powerful branding capabilities that are available to you today.  Through personalization of your eNewsletter headers and footers and donor tracking, you can substantially increase your donor response rates.

Who should attend?  Gift planners and development staff who have access to your CresManager account for GiftLegacy 3.0 will be very pleased with these new capabilities.

The next CresManager webinar is next Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 9:00 to 10:00 am Pacific Time (10:00 am MDT, 11:00 am CDT, 12:00 pm EDT).

To sign up for the webinar click here.

Support America's Charities and the Charitable Deduction!

2011-10-19T15:22:00.001-07:00

On October 18,2011, the United States Senate held an important hearing on the subject of tax reformand charitable giving. Recent proposals have recommended changing the tax codeto cap the deduction for charitable gifts. Many in the charitable communityhave expressed concern that these proposed changes could reduce incentives forcharitable giving, thus hurting America's charities and ultimately thecommunities that these charities serve.

A broad-based group of charities, together with companies and individuals thatwork with charities, have come together to sign a petition asking Congress andthe President to protect the important role that charities play in America bypreserving the charitable deduction.

We wanted to make you aware of this petition and ask you to consider joiningCrescendo, along with more than 59,000 others, in asking Congress and thePresident to help charities by preserving the charitable deduction. You can clickhere to sign the petition.

Thank you for your help in supporting the important work of America'scharities!

Website Branding Increases Donor Response- Learn How...

2011-10-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

The new GiftLegacy 3.0 CresManager has powerful branding capabilities that are available to you today. You can substantially increase your donor response through better use of branding options in CresManager.

You are invited to join a GiftLegacy webinar on website branding using CresManager. In GiftLegacy 3.0, you have options to brand the website with mission-related information that motivates your donors. You will want to benefit from learning how to modify Your News, Donor Stories and custom pages.

You also are able to upload your custom PDF brochures and wills guides. Your donors may then download these custom PDF versions. Several GiftLegacy organizations now have uploaded custom gift brochures to their site. We hope everyone will do this. Your custom brochures will be even more motivational because you have included your specific branding.

Who should attend? Gift planners and development staff who have access to your CresManager account for GiftLegacy 3.0 will be very pleased with these new capabilities.

The next CresManager webinar is next Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 9:00 to 9:40 am Pacific Time (10:00 am MDT, 11:00 am CDT, 12:00 pm EDT).

To sign up for the webinar click here.

Stop By and Visit Us at AHP Boston!

2011-10-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sandra Henningsen and Alexandra Mitchel will be in Boston for the AHP Conference October 20-21 . If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, they would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact them for a meeting. If you are attending the AHP Conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth to say hello and pick up a copy of Charles Schultz’s new book entitled Provide & Protect: Important Life and Death Decisions.

Five New Products Announced!

2011-09-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

Crescendo CEO and President Charles Schultz announced fivenew products at this week’s Practical Planned Giving Conference (PPGC) 2011 inSan Diego, California. The new productinnovations include CresMobile, GiftCharity, Board of Directors Education,Field Staff Marketing and Mission Videos.

CresMobile

CresMobile is a smartphone application for planned givingcalculations on-the-go. The newapp is available for use on your iPhone or Android Smartphone.

CresMobile permits the user to run calculations for acharitable gift annuity, deferred gift annuity, charitable remainder unitrust,annuity trust or lead trust. Justenter your donor information and view the answers formatted for your favoriteSmartphone.

CresMobile is available for download from the Android Marketand Apple Store. The app is freethis for PPP attendees and will cost $2.99 for download beginningon October 7. It enables giftplanners to run charitable giving calculations anytime anywhere.

GiftCharity

GiftCharity is a network marketing strategy for small tomid-sized charities working with a parent organization. Many organizations such asuniversities, medical centers, religious organizations, community foundationsand national foundations have a gift planner who provides services toaffiliates.

The GiftCharity capability allows a GiftLegacy Parent to assistan affiliate in offering planned gifts by providing a branded webpage, willsand gift annuity brochures, a wills guide and weekly eNewsletters forGiftCharity donors. A GiftLegacyParent may create GiftLegacy charities through the comprehensive CresManagerprogram.

Board of Directors

Most charitable organizations have a marketing strategy toreach donor groups, retired staff or faculty and professional advisors. But your most important marketingstrategy is to educate and motivate your Board of Directors. The new Board of Directors EducationProgram includes 12 programs that will encourage your Board of Directors to setup bequests, gift annuities, life estates, and unitrusts, make gifts of land orstock.

Each lesson includes a 15 minute video for your board, accompanied by downloadable PowerPoint and article so your directors can takenotes during the presentation. There is also a 10 question quiz to reinforce concepts learned for eachlesson. You may want to hold aseries of training sessions where you show a 15 minute video to your board,discuss the supplementary reading and the quiz answers.

Our test charities have already responded very positively tothe training materials for boards. GiftCollege for Boards of Directors is an excellent way for you toeducate your Directors on how to identify and encourage planned gifts to yourorganization.

Field Staff

Many organizations have a central office and deployed fieldstaff. While the central officeenjoys all of the marketing capabilities of the persuasive GiftLegacy program,field staff also would like to implement these marketing innovations in theirregion.

With GiftLegacy field staff accounts, each team member willbe permitted to send the weekly eNewsletters to donors in their territory, usethe Provide & Protect bequest marketing system, educate local Boards ofDirectors and be “friended” by donors through the Wills Planner. Field staff will also have access tostatistics and analytics that will help them focus on the best donor prospects.

Mission Videos

Branding is a wonderful way to reach donors through a directemotional connection. A missionvideo is a one and one-half minute professionally-produced video that willinspire donors who visit your planned giving website.

Mission Videos feature images of your organization’s workset to music with computer graphics and animation. After sharing your story, the video provides an overview ofyour planned giving website and thanks supporters for their assistance tocontinue your work and contact you.

“These five innovations complement the comprehensive marketingapplications of GiftLegacy,” said Charles Schultz. “PPGC attendees in San Diego were very enthusiastic aboutthe potential for these ideas to help them increase planned gifts in the comingyears.”

To learn more about Crescendo’s new product innovations,please call 1-800-858-9154.

PPGC 2011 GiftLegacy Awards Have Been Announced!

2011-09-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

2011 GiftLegacy award winners were named today at Crescendo's 8th Annual Practical Planned Giving Conference in San Diego. Best 3.0 Website Award was presented to The Arts and Education Council of St. Louis. The Citadel Foundation and CHOC Children's Hospital received Honorable Mention for the Best Website category. Best Literature Award went to Messiah College and Honorable Mention went to The Leadership Institute and Wright State University.

The GiftLegacy eMarketer of the Year Award was given to Bill Yaeger, Assistant Vice President of Principal and Planned Gifts at The Citadel Foundation. He has used Crescendo's GiftLegacy system for planned giving since 2008 and has raised over $33 Million in planned gifts. This year Bill is on pace for at least $10 Million more in planned gifts. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Crescendo Staff Helping Charities

2011-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Crescendo Staff participated in a Many Mansions Bowl Painting Party to assist Many Mansions in its annual Bowls of Hope fundraiser to help low income residents of Ventura County obtain affordable housing.

Join us in San Diego for Bequest Boom!

2011-09-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

Join us in sunny San Diego on September 28th to learn how you can reach your share of the 78 million baby boomers with an online wills and bequests program. Combine the online Wills Planner with a multi-media book and GiftAttorneys. Make a greater impact with a high interactive planned giving website, newsletters, ads, and brochures. Discover how electronic and print media can boost results! To sign up click here or call 800-858-9154 and ask for Thyra.

Crescendo is Building a New Studio!

2011-09-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

Construction is underway for Crescendo’s new studio. The studio will feature a custom set with three cameras, high quality video, audio and lighting system for taping the increasing number of videos Crescendo is posting on GiftLegacy websites. If you are interested in taping a mission-based video for your organization's planned giving website please call 1-800-858-9154 and ask to speak to a marketing specialist.

Don't Miss Out on PPGC!

2011-08-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Practical Planned Giving conference is only a month away (September 26th & 27th)and today is the last day to book your room at the conference rate! If you have any questions about the conference or you would like to sign up feel free to call and ask for Thyra Barnes- 800-858-9154 or sign up online. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Plan Ahead and Sign Up to Attend the Internet Marketing Seminar

2011-08-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Come learn the best practices in eMarketing planned gifts to your donors by attending the Internet Marketing Seminar on October 3rd & 4th in Camarillo, CA. Discover design principles of the top planned giving websites; explore interactive website tools, the effective use of eNewsletters, royalty-free literature, our new online wills program, and more.

You may also stay an extra day to learn how to customize your GiftLegacy royalty-free brochures and quarterly print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar on October 5th.

You may register for either seminar online or call Thyra at 800-858-9154.

Learn the Ins-And-Outs of Crescendo Software

2011-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

The majority of our Crescendo users attend a Comprehensive Seminar to gain expertise in using Crescendo software to its full potential. The next Comprehensive Seminar will be held on September 19th & 20th in our office in Camarillo, CA so be sure to sign up before it's too late!

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend the Provide & Protect Webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the powerful GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Development staff, board members and gift planners will all enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide & Protect Webinar is on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register for the event, click here.

Register Now for the Crescendo Advanced Seminar!

2011-07-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the opportunity to explore creative gifting strategies at the Advanced Seminar on September 28-29 in San Diego. This training includes timely options for funding education and retirement, charitable estate planning models, family corporations, gifts of IRAs and pension plans, unitrusts with insurance replacement, lead trusts and zero-tax options. Receive 12 hours of CE credits for attending.

Simplify Gift Annuity Administration with Crescendo Admin Software

2011-07-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Make your gift annuity administration easy with Crescendo Admin Software. If you are tired of doing 1099-Rs by hand, request a free 90-day trial of Crescendo Admin. Find out how easy it is to create data records for annuitants, run monthly reports, generate check distributions, calculate reserve account balances, prepare year-end 1099-Rs, create state present value reports, utilize electronic fund transfer and much more.

The new release of Crescendo Admin Software includes an attractive GiftMail option that allows you to send a custom letter to your existing gift annuitants or import a list of potential donors to send personal letters marketing the benefits of a gift annuity. Call 800-858-9154 today for a 90-day free trial software and training. Be sure to ask about no cost conversions from most other gift annuity administration software.

Reserve your bungalow this week for PPGC!

2011-06-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Early Bird registration indicates that we will have record attendance this year at the Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 26-27 in San Diego! PPGC 2011 features a great lineup of top speakers including Kay Sprinkel Grace, David Wheeler Newman, Chris Hoyt, Winton Smith, Kathryn Miree, Rebecca Locke and more.

Take advantage of Early Bird Registration until June 30. Sign up online at Practicalpgc.com. Then call the Paradise Point Resort (on Mission Bay!) at 866-857-8936 for our special conference rate. Don't delay. Space is limited at Paradise Point and overflow rooms will be at another hotel.

You will also have an opportunity to increase your skills at these post-conference training sessions. Click on the links below for seminar details and online registration.

Intro Seminar - Learn how to market and close gift annuities and unitrusts.

Advanced Seminar - Explore creative and complex gifting strategies.

Bequest Marketing Seminar - Connect with Boomers and increase bequests with GiftLegacy 3.0.

eDesign Seminar - Customize your GiftLegacy literature in-house with Adobe InDesign.

We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

Attend the Planned Giving Start Up Seminar in Chicago!

2011-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Are you just getting started in planned giving or want to jumpstart your planned giving program? Then you will want to attend the new Planned Giving Startup Seminar. Learn the fundamentals of planned gifts including guidelines for gifts of cash, stock and real property. Charitable legal experts Winton Smith and Kristen Schultz will guide you through everything you need to know about offering bequests, gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts and how to handle major gifts of appreciated assets. The seminar will be held on July 13 in Chicago, IL. For more information and online registration, click or call 800-858-9154.

Attend the Chicago Internet Marketing Seminar

2011-06-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Learn best practices in eMarketing planned gifts to your donors by attending the Internet Marketing Seminar on July 13-14 in Chicago, IL. Discover design principles of the top planned giving websites; explore interactive website tools, the effective use of eNewsletters, royalty-free literature, our new online wills program, and more.

You may also stay an extra day to learn how to customize your GiftLegacy royalty-free brochures and quarterly print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar on July 15th.

Register for either seminar online or call Thyra at 800-858-9154.

Stop by the AHP Southeast, Rockies & Southwest Joint Regional Conference

2011-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Be sure to say hello to Alexandra Mitchell at the Crescendo booth, June 26-28 at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, FL. Come learn how we can provide you with comprehensive, flexible solutions that help you effectively market and close planned gifts! If you wish to set up a time to meet with Alexandra please feel free to contact her.

Visit us at the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable

2011-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable’s 23rd annual Summer Symposium begins Wednesday June 22nd at the Inverness Hotel in Englewood, CO. Crescendo Interactive, Inc. will be participating. Sandra Henningsen will be at the June 22nd opening Networking Reception from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. On Thursday, June 23rd from 8:00 am to 4:15 the Crescendo booth will be available to conference attendees for planned giving discussion and information. You are invited to click here to contact Sandra for an appointment at the conference.

Attend the Planned Giving Start Up Seminar in DC!

2011-06-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Are you just getting started in planned giving or want to jumpstart your planned giving program? Then you will want to attend the new Planned Giving Startup Seminar. Learn the fundamentals of planned gifts including guidelines for gifts of cash, stock and real property. Charitable legal experts Winton Smith and Kristen Schultz will guide you through everything you need to know about offering bequests, gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts and how to handle major gifts of appreciated assets. The seminar will be held on June 22 in Washington, D.C.. For more info and online registration, click or call 800-858-9154.

Visit Us at the AHP Midwest Regional Conference

2011-06-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Visit Tyler Bacon June 5-7th in Kansas City, MO at the Marriott County Club Plaza and learn about the benefits of GiftLegacy 3.0. He would be delighted to provide you with a demonstration of the Online Wills Planner!

Attend the DC Internet Marketing Seminar!

2011-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Learn best practices in eMarketing planned gifts to your donors by attending the Internet Marketing Seminar on June 22-23 in Washington, DC. Discover design principles of the top planned giving websites; explore interactive website tools, the effective use of eNewsletters, royalty-free literature, our new online wills program, and more.

You may also stay an extra day to learn how to customize your GiftLegacy royalty-free brochures and quarterly print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar on June 24th.

Register for either seminar online or call Thyra at 800-858-9154.

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-05-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend the Provide & Protect Webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the powerful GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Development staff, board members and gift planners will all enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide & Protect Webinar is on Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register for the event, click here.

Bequest Boom Seminar

2011-05-26T15:11:00.001-07:00

Come attend Bequest Boom June 1, 2011 at the Westin South Coast Plaza. President Charles Schultz will teach you how to reach your share of the 78 million baby boomers with an online wills program, using the GiftLegacy 3.0 marketing system. If you would like to attend the seminar as our guest, contact Jennifer Malm at 800.858.9154 or Jennifer@cresmail.com we look forward to seeing you there!

Visit Us at the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference

2011-05-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

Stop by the Crescendo booth and say hello to Jennifer Malm at the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference, June 2-3 at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA. Come learn how we can provide you with comprehensive, flexible solutions that help you effectively market and close planned gifts!

Visit Us at NYPPS 2011

2011-05-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

On May 26th stop by the Crescendo booth at the New York Marriott Marquis to say hello to June Penrod and learn about the latest GiftLegacy cloud apps to help you reach more donors online.

Visit Us at the AHP Pacific Regional Conference

2011-05-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

Stop by the Crescendo booth and say hello to Jennifer Malm at the AHP Pacific Regional Conference, May 22-24 at the Grand America Hotel. Come learn how we can provide you comprehensive, flexible solutions that help you effectively market and close planned gifts!

ACGA Approves New Rates

2011-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

The ACGA has approved a new schedule of suggested maximum gift annuity rates for gifts established on or after July 1, 2011. Click here to read more about the new rates and what this means for your charity.

Attend the Costa Mesa Bequest Boom Seminar!

2011-05-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Crescendo is hosting a Bequest Boom Seminar June 1st, 2011 at the Westin South Coast Plaza from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Join our President Charles Schultz and western representative Jennifer Malm as they teach you how to reach your share of the 78 million baby boomers with an online wills and bequest program, using the GiftLegacy 3.0 marketing system. If you would like to attend the seminar as our guest please contact Jennifer Malm at 800.858.9154 or Jennifer@cresmail.com we look forward to seeing you there!

Crescendo wins 2011 Graphic Design USA Award

2011-05-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Crescendo has been selected as a winner in the 2011 American In House Design Awards from “Graphic Design USA”. For nearly five decades, Graphic Design USA has sponsored design competitions that spotlight areas of excellence. For the sixth straight year more than 4,000 entries have arrived from all across the country. Crescendo has received an Award Certificate of Excellence for our “Active Seniors” advertising campaign 2011.

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-04-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend the Provide & Protect Webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the powerful GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Development staff, board members and gift planners will all enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide & Protect Webinar is on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register for the event, click here.

Attend the New Planned Giving Startup Seminar!

2011-04-05T14:15:00.003-07:00

Are you just getting started in planned giving or want to jumpstart your planned giving program? Then you will want to attend the new Planned Giving Startup Seminar. Learn the fundamentals of planned gifts including guidelines for gifts of cash, stock and real property. Charitable legal experts Winton Smith and Kristen Schultz will guide you through everything you need to know about offering bequests, gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts and how to handle major gifts of appreciated assets. Registration is underway for Startup Seminars on June 22 in Washington, D.C. and July 13 in Chicago. For more info and online registration, click or call 800-858-9154.

Attend Our 2011 Practical Planned Giving Conference

2011-04-05T14:15:00.001-07:00

Attend Crescendo’s eighth annual Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 26-27 at the beautiful Paradise Point Resort on Mission Bay in San Diego! This year’s conference features another great lineup of top speakers including Kay Sprinkel Grace, David Wheeler Newman, Chris Hoyt, Winton Smith, Kathryn Miree, Rebecca Lock and more. Take advantage of Early Bird Registration until June 30. Sign up online at Practicalpgc.com.

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-04-05T14:14:00.003-07:00

You are invited to a Provide & Protect Webinar highlighting the new GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Crescendo Interactive President, Charles Schultz, will explain how your organization can benefit from the coming Bequest Boom by offering donors the powerful GiftLegacy Online Wills Planner. Development staff, board members and gift planners will all enjoy this valuable presentation. The next Provide & Protect Webinar is on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time (1:00 pm MST, 2:00 pm CST, 3:00 EST). To register for the event, click here.

Register for GiftCollege today!

2011-04-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

Now is the time to increase your gift planning skills with GiftCollege. Over 2,500 students are already registered for this popular online educational program for gift planners! Start working toward your GiftCollege certification today. Classes are now available on-demand 24/7. For more information and registration, go to www.GiftCollege.com or call Lynne McGuire at 800-858-9154.

Attend the New Planned Giving Startup Seminar!

2011-04-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Are you just getting started in planned giving or want to jumpstart your planned giving program? Then you will want to attend the new Planned Giving Startup Seminar. Learn the fundamentals of planned gifts including guidelines for gifts of cash, stock and real property. Charitable legal experts Winton Smith and Kristen Schultz will guide you through everything you need to know about offering bequests, gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts and how to handle major gifts of appreciated assets. Registration is underway for Startup Seminars on June 22 in Washington, D.C. and July 13 in Chicago. For more info and online registration, click or call 800-858-9154.

Attend Our 2011 Practical Planned Giving Conference

2011-04-01T16:42:00.002-07:00

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-04-01T16:42:00.001-07:00

Register for GiftCollege today!

2011-04-01T16:41:00.001-07:00

Provide & Protect Webinar

2011-02-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

New Estate Tax Rules for Business Owners

2011-01-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

American corporations now have record cash levels. Thousands of your business owner friends have been waiting to decide when the best time is to sell and retire. The Crescendo Business Planning Seminar will cover all of the business ownership types, and explain how to set up major charitable gifts. For most owners, a variation of the Sale and Unitrust will be the solution. But you need to be able to discuss the latest income, gift and estate taxes with the CPA and Attorney to close these gifts. Attend the Business Planning Seminar on March 21-22 in Camarillo, CA to learn how the dramatic 2011 tax changes can help you close major gifts from Business Owners. Register online or call 800-858-9154 for more details.

Register for GiftCollege today!

2011-01-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

IRA Charitable Rollover Passes for 2010 and 2011!

2010-12-29T13:22:00.000-08:00

Good News! The IRA Charitable Rollover passed for both 2010 and 2011. The evening the President signed the bill, we highlighted the IRA rollover in the GiftLegacy and GiftLaw eNewsletters. For GiftLegacy users with the IRA video, we published an updated video promoting the IRA charitable rollover. There is also a new IRA rollover postcard in your GiftLegacy manager. If you do not already have GiftLegacy at your organization, contact us to get started. We will be happy to provide you a free demonstration of the new 3.0 interactive system.

GiftLegacy Pro 3.0 eMarketing System is here!

2010-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

This new release includes a revolutionary Online Wills Planner that will increase bequest fulfillment. A donor can now enter information on a secure password protected site and have the ability to “friend” both the gift planner and attorney for ease in communication and facilitation of document completion. In addition, GiftLegacy Pro subscribers will be able to educate donors with Charles Schultz’s new multimedia book, Provide & Protect, and have access to a national group of GiftAttorneys to advance the process. With these new GiftLegacy tools, bequests and current gifts could grow by as much as 20-40% for participating organizations! To learn more about the new GiftLegacy Pro 3.0 system contact us.

IRA Rollover Extended For 2011

2010-12-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

On the afternoon of December 17, 2010, the President signed into law The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. This bill restored the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2010 and permits its use in all of 2011.

The principal rules for direct transfers from an IRA to a qualified public charity are that the IRA owner must be 70½ or older and that the transfer is for no more than $100,000 each year. A 2011 transfer qualifies for the required minimum distribution. It must be to a public charity either outright or for a specific purpose, but may not be to a donor advised fund or supporting organization. The transfer is made directly from a trustee to the charitable organization. GiftLaw Pro Chapter 4.6.8 covers the specifics of the IRA Charitable Rollover.

Donor IRA Rollover Marketing

GiftLegacy users should use their Manager program to access IRA marketing materials and to highlight the IRA rollover on their website and eNewsletter headers for both donors and professional advisors (both GiftLegacy and GiftLaw). You may copy the text from the donor email below into your website with the GiftLegacy Manager and to your GifLegacy and GiftLaw eNewsletter headers. All charities should send an email to donors to inform them about this opportunity. The email could include the following information. Please include your name, address and tax ID number in the IRA Custodian email.

Donor email

If you own an IRA and are over age 70½, you may transfer up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to _____________ because we are a qualified charity. Your IRA rollover gift will qualify for your 2011 required IRA distribution and may reduce your income taxes. Even if you have taken your required IRA distribution, you still may find the IRA charitable rollover a very convenient way to make a year-end gift. Thanks very much for your support.

An easy way to start an IRA Charitable Rollover is to send an email to your IRA Custodian. This is usually a financial services company that manages your IRA. Please check their website for the correct email address. Here is a sample email. If you use this email, please enter your account number in the blank.

Dear IRA Custodian,

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, effective until December 31, 2011, permits a rollover directly from an IRA to a qualified public charity. As the owner of IRA account #_________________ that is in the custody of your organization, I request that you transfer from that account the sum of $_________________ to Favorite Public Charity, 123 Oak Street, Chicago, Illinois 52001. The Treasury Tax ID Number for Favorite Public Charity is 00-0000001.

It is my intention to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to Favorite Public Charity from my IRA, which may fulfill part or all of my IRA required minimum distribution for this year.

This letter is sufficient authorization for you to make this QCD gift. However, if you require any further documents, please promptly email those to me.

Cordially yours,

IRA Owner

Catch the Bequest Wave!

2010-11-15T15:28:00.001-08:00

Catch the Bequest Wave! We are conducting over 20 new Bequest Marketing Seminars focusing on how to launch successful bequest campaigns using the new GiftLegacy online wills planner on January 10 in Miami, January 11 in Orlando, January 12 in Atlanta, February 7 in Memphis, February 8 in Nashville, and February 9 in Cincinnati. Click here to reserve your spot today!

What are your Baby Boomers looking for?

2010-11-08T16:29:00.001-08:00

Boomers choose High Interative. In our test seminar, 100% of Boomers and Seniors wanted high interactive websites. How can you learn more about high interactive? During 2011 Crescendo will conduct Bequest Boom Seminars in 25 cities to show how you can move from low interactive to high interactive. Check out the Bequest Boom Seminar schedule today. For more information on High Interactive, click here to view a video by Charles Schultz.

Crescendo Welcomes New Staff!

2010-10-27T14:30:00.001-07:00

Crescendo is pleased to welcome two new staff members! Yen-Kuo Kao has joined the IT staff and Fred Scofield will join the new publishing department.

Crescendo is coming to Minneapolis!

2010-10-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sandra Henningsen will be in Minneapolis for the MSP Council 2-3 Conference on November 1. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, she would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Sandra. If you are attending the meeting, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

GiftLegacy 3.0 is here!

2010-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

The new GiftLegacy Pro 3.0 release includes a revolutionary Online Wills Planner that will increase bequest fulfillment. A donor can now enter information on a secure password protected site and have the ability to “friend” both the gift planner and attorney for ease in communication and facilitation of document completion. In addition, GiftLegacy Pro subscribers will be able to educate donors with Charles Schultz’s new multimedia book, Provide and Protect, and have access to a national group of GiftAttorneys to advance the process. With these new GiftLegacy tools, bequests and current gifts could grow by as much as 20-40% for participating organizations! To learn more about the new GiftLegacy Pro 3.0 system contact us. Then make plans to join us for an upcoming Bequest Boom Seminar in a city near you.

Crescendo is coming to San Antonio!

2010-10-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Crescendo will be in San Antonio for the International AHP Conference on October 20-22.If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, we would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Sandra Henningsen for a meeting. If you are attending the AHP Conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Crescendo is in Orlando!

2010-10-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Crescendo is at the PPP conference in Orlando. Stop by the Crescendo booth and say hello!

Crescendo Welcomes New Staff!

2010-10-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Crescendo is pleased to welcome two new staff members! Yen-Kuo Kao has joined the IT staff and Fred Scofield will join the new publishing department.

GiftLegacy 3.0 is Here!

2010-10-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Bequest Networking will increase gifts by 20% to 40%.

While Social Networking is growing rapidly (Inside Facebook reports that use by women over age 55 grew by 175% in the last 120 days), the key for gift planning is using Facebook relationship concepts to grow bequests. The new GiftLegacy Pro moves donors, gift planners and GiftAttorneys online to create new relationships that will lead to a Bequest Boom!

And you have a once-in-a-career opportunity. Starting Jan. 1, 2011, the number of Americans who cross age 65 each year will increase by 2.5 times. If you reach your share of the 74 million Baby Boomers, your organization will have a great future. Responding to a request from a major university, I suggested that 85% to 98% of Baby Boomers will choose the new online Wills Planner over the old print wills data guides. (In my initial test seminar, 100% of Boomers and Seniors chose the online Wills Planner.)

There are four parts to Bequest Networking with the new GiftLegacy Pro:

1. Online Wills Planner – a user-friendly online guide to data entry. The initial test users were FAR more successful in completing the online data than with the old print wills planner. All donors entered their data in one week.

2. Provide & Protect – a multimedia book on estate planning and giving. It is printed with the custom cover of the charity and includes colors, logo, a testimonial by the charity president or key person and your gift planning web address on the front cover. The 44 chapters each include a quiz; donors go online to their Wills Planner accounts to view answers and a friendly video. Your donors will be delighted with the Provide & Protect interactive print marketing option.

3. Donor Relationship Manager – with GiftLegacy Pro you will have an online account to view your donor friends’ data, answer their questions, communicate with them and facilitate document completion. Donors at the test seminar were offered a 30 minute Wills Planner phone tutorial with the gift planner. Each donor expressed overwhelming gratitude after the call.

4. GiftAttorney Pro – Crescendo is building a national group of GiftAttorneys with charitable receptivity. They will use www.giftattorney.com to access their Client Relationship Manager (CRM) and assist your donors with wills and trusts. Using the CRM in the test seminar, our first GiftAttorney quickly closed all 14 family plans (24 donors).

I have been involved in bequest seminars since my first year as a foundation gift planner in 1980. Of the 40 who attended the test seminar, 24 wanted to proceed with a will or living trust (14 family units). All were quickly closed using the online Wills Planner and GiftAttorney. This success greatly exceeded anything I have seen during my three decades in gift planning. My above prediction that bequests and current gifts will grow by 20% to 40% could prove very conservative.

If you are interested in viewing the new GiftLegacy web site and running the Wills Planner, our general test site is www.giftplanning.com.

Our first sites was Chicago Metro Salvation Army (www.salarmygift.org). After my visits with 20 national charities this summer and our record attendance at the Chicago Practical Planned Giving Conference, we now have more than 100 sites in process. How do you get on the priority list for the new GiftLegacy Pro? Attend a Wills Seminar by clicking here to register. We will be in Orlando Oct. 13, in San Antonio on Oct. 19 and Minneapolis on Nov. 1, 2010. Next year I will conduct Bequest Boom! Seminars in 25 cities.

Cordially yours,

Charles Schultz, JD
President, Crescendo Interactive, Inc.

2010 Practical Planned Giving Conference (PPGC) in Chicago - A Great Success!

2010-10-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

Over 400 Crescendo friends attended our Seventh Annual Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27 – 28 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Chicago. It was a great opportunity to hear leading presenters on the most relevant, cutting-edge topics in planned giving. With two full days, six tracks and 48 sessions, this event was a great success!

The theme of the conference this year was New Decade Donors: The Road Ahead. Keynote speakers Jay Love, CEO of Social Solutions, and Lani Starkey, Director of Estate and Gift Planning at the University of Hawaii Foundation, discussed trends and strategies for the decade ahead to a packed luncheon audience.

Many attended sessions in the Art of the Ask track to learn new ways to ask for gifts with proven ask strategies from Steve Marken, Robert Mitchell, Dan Garrett and Amanda Ferrari. Our Property MegaGifts track featured top-notch speakers Jerry McCoy, Tom Ray, Erik Dryburgh and Bryan Clontz. The Major and Planned Gifts track was taught by leading experts Jay Love, Marshall Howard, Lani Starkey and Charles Schultz. We also brought back the popular sessions on eMarketing, Fundamentals and Gift Annuities with faculty including Gene Christian, Cam Kelly, Jim Soft, Bob Rock, Lewis von Herrmann and more.

In addition to the great line-up of PPGC speakers and presentations, the 2010 GiftLegacy award winners were named. The Best Website award was presented to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Foundation, Best Literature award went to Baylor University, and Best Video Greeting was given to Darci Cain at Kansas State University Foundation.

The top award for 2010 eMarketer of the Year was accepted by Glenn Pittsford, Texas A& M University Foundation, who raised over $100 Million in gifts over the past two years using Crescendo’s GiftLegacy eMarketing System. You will want to check out our post PPGC website at www.Practicalpgc.com for video highlights of this memorable conference.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s conference. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for PPGC 2011 September 26 – 27 in San Diego, California.

What is the impact of the October AFR rate on gift qualification?

2010-09-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Read an article of the impact of October's record low AFR rate on gift qualification by clicking here: http://kristenschultz.blogspot.com/

Enroll in GiftCollege Today!

2010-09-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Increase your gift planning skills with GiftCollege. Start working toward GiftCollege certification today. Classes are now available on-demand 24/7. For more information and registration, go to www.GiftCollege.com or call Lynne McGuire at 800-858-9154.

Attention PPGC Attendees

2010-09-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

Attention PPGC Attendees: Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference 2010 registration is at an all time high. In order to accommodate this increased attendance, we would like to do a final headcount for meal purposes. If for some reason, you cannot attend PPGC, please contact Thyra at 800-858-9154 as soon as possible. We want to make sure everyone has the best experience ever!

Crescendo is coming to Charlotte!

2010-08-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

June Kim will be the Crescendo representative at the Council on Foundations Conference on September 13-15 in Charlotte, NC. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, she would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact June for a meeting. If you are planning to attend the COF Conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Do you need eMarketing training?

2010-08-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Join charities across the nation closing major eGifts. Learn how easy it is to eMarket planned gifts to donors and professionals by attending the Internet Marketing Seminar on October 6-7 in our offices in Camarillo, CA. Discover design principles of the top planned giving websites, explore interactive website tools, the effective use of eNewsletters, royalty-free literature, our new online wills program, and more. Stay an extra day to learn how to customize your GiftLegacy royalty-free brochures and quarterly print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar on September 29 in Chicago and October 8 in Camarillo, CA. Register online for either or both of these seminars or call Crescendo's Seminar Coordinator, Thyra, at 800-858-9154.

Enroll for GiftCollege Today!

2010-08-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Attend an Advanced Seminar

2010-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Attend the Advanced Seminar on September 29-30 in Chicago (after PPGC). Explore timely options for funding education, retirement, lead trusts, family corporations, insurance replacement, IRAs and more. Later this fall we expect to have an IRA charitable rollover. A major section of the Advanced Seminar will cover IRA distribution rules and all IRA planned gifts. Register online or call 800-858-9154 today.

Have you registered for the 2010 Practical Planned Giving Conference?

2010-07-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

There is still time to register for our seventh annual Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. It looks like we will have record attendance! This year’s conference features a great lineup of top presenters including Jerry McCoy, Erik Dryburgh, Cam Kelly and more. You won’t want to miss our keynote speakers Jay Love and Lani Starkey as they discuss trends and strategies for the decade ahead. Sign up at www.practicalpgc.com and call the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center for the rate today.

Attend a Wills Marketing Seminar!

2010-07-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our new Wills Marketing Seminars are getting great reviews! Read the powerful testimonies online. This training focuses on how to launch a successful wills campaign will be held in these locations: July 17 in New York, September 16 in Charlotte, September 29 in Chicago, October 13 in Orlando, October 19 in San Antonio and November 1 in St. Paul. Register online or by calling Thyra at 800-858-9154.

Crescendo is coming to New York!

2010-07-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Crescendo will be in New York for the International CASE Conference on July 18-19. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, we would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Sandra Henningsen and Jennifer Malm for a meeting. If you are attending the CASE Conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Attend a Wills Marketing Seminar!

2010-07-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Attend eMarketing Training!

2010-06-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Learn best practices in eMarketing planned gifts to your donors by attending the Internet Marketing Seminar on July 14-15 in Chicago, IL and October 6-7 in our offices in Camarillo, CA. Discover design principles of the top planned giving websites, explore interactive website tools, the effective use of eNewsletters, royalty-free literature, our new online wills program, and more. Stay an extra day to learn how to customize your GiftLegacy royalty-free brochures and quarterly print newsletters in-house using Adobe InDesign at the eDesign Seminar on July 16 in Chicago or October 8 in Camarillo, CA.

We are also adding new Wills Marketing Seminars across the country focusing on how to launch a successful wills campaign on July 17 in New York, September 16 in Charlotte and September 29 in Chicago.

You may register for all of the above seminars online or by calling Thyra at 800-858-9154.

Reason #7 to Attend Crescendo's Practical Planned Giving Conference!

2010-06-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #7: Your Organization Offers Gift Annuities. If your organization offers gift annuities, you'll want to attend the Gift Annuities Track. Gift annuities are still the most popular life income gift! Explore information important to marketing, closing and managing gift annuities with presentations by Cam Kelly, Jim Soft, Bob Rock and Lewis Von Herrmann. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Make Plans to Attend Comprehensive Training

2010-06-08T09:24:00.001-07:00

The majority of our Crescendo users attend a Comprehensive Seminar to gain expertise in using Crescendo Software to its full potential. Comprehensive Seminars will be held on June 21-23 in Washington, DC, July 12-14 in Chicago and September 13-15 in our offices in Camarillo, CA.

Are you attending the 2010 Practical Planned Giving Conference?

2010-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #6: You Need to Know How to Close Planned Gifts. If you are new to gift planning or need to brush up on the basics, the Fundamentals track will benefit you. Give your planned giving program a quick boost with tips from Kristen Schultz, Ilana Ormond, Gene Christian and Bill Knox. Basic guidelines for gifts of cash, stock and real property will be discussed. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Crescendo is coming to San Francisco!

2010-06-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jennnifer Malm will be in San Francisco for the AFP Golden Gate Chapter's Fundraising Day on June 16th. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, she would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Jennifer for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by the Crescendo booth and say hello.

Why should you attend the 2010 Practical Planned Giving Conference?

2010-05-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #5: You Accept Gifts of Property. If you are willing to take gifts of property such as real estate, stock or insurance, then you'll want to attend the Property MegaGifts track. This track, taught by attorneys Jerry McCoy, Tom Ray, Erik Dryburgh and expert Bryan Clontz will explore creative gift planning methods for the new active business gifts plus land, stock and IRAs. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Crescendo is coming to Costa Mesa!

2010-05-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Jennnifer Malm will be in Costa Mesa, CA for the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference on June 2-4. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, he would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Jennifer for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Crescendo is coming to Cleveland!

2010-05-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tyler Bacon will be in Cleveland for the AHP Regional Conference on May 23-25. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, he would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Tyler for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Another reason to attend PPGC in 2010!

2010-05-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #4: Your Organization Needs Bequests and Planned Gifts Through eMarketing. With over 65% of seniors age 65+ surfing the web, you need to market over the Internet. The eMarketing track shows charities how to boost gifts. Charles Schultz and his team of experts will start with Bequest Campaign Strategies. Next, a panel of successful GiftLegacy eMarketer of the Year award winners will show you how to raise millions in gifts through leading-edge eMarketing. Finally, the GiftLegacy team will share the latest innovations in eMarketing, how to bring all of your marketing efforts together, effective use of literature, web and print best practices and more. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit http://www.practicalpgc.com/ and register today.

Crescendo is expanding!

2010-05-13T10:01:00.001-07:00

Crescendo is expanding! We are signing a new lease for increased office space. With our fresh, weekly content leading to much greater circulation with donors, many more friends want the benefits of GiftLegacy eMarketing. So, we are creating GiftLegacy websites at a record pace. Our growing IT and GiftLegacy staff in the expanded office space will enable us to expand our services as we continue to grow our Crescendo family! If you would like information on using the GiftLegacy eMarketing system for marketing planned gifts please call 800-858-9154.

Crescendo is coming to Arlington!

2010-05-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

June Kim will be in Arlington for the NCGPC’s Planned Giving Days 2010 on May 13-14. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, she would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact June for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Reason #3 for attending the Practical Planned Giving Conference

2010-05-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #3: Your Job Requires That You Motivate Donors. If you want to motivate donors to make major gifts, you'll want to attend the Art of the Ask track. This track begins with Janet Ginn’s presentation on Holistic Relationships followed by Rob Mitchell’s session on strategies you can use to win gifts now in this changing economy. Steve Mourning will focus on understanding your donors’ aspirations and needs and proposing gifts that help satisfy them followed by Amanda Ferrari’s presentation on donor centered gift planning. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Crescendo is coming to San Francisco!

2010-05-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Crescendo will be in San Francisco for the Northern California Planned Giving Conference on May 7th. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, we would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Jennifer for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Another good reason to attend PPGC this year...

2010-04-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #2: You Want to Close More Major and Planned Gifts. Attend the Major and Planned Gifts tract for these presentations: Explore current research regarding online non-profit relationship building tools with Jay Love. Learn how to transform your board into powerful partners with Marshall Howard. Focus on new ways to think about charitable lead trusts and creative new ideas on marketing them to donors and professionals with Lani Starkey. Discover sale strategies that will be very popular as business owners scramble to sell before the end of 2010 with Charles Schultz. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Many reasons to come to PPGC...

2010-04-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

There are seven good reasons to bring your staff to Crescendo’s Practical Planned Giving Conference on September 27-28 in Chicago. Reason #1: You Want to Raise Major Gifts in a Challenging Economy. If major gifts are a priority, then PPGC 2010 is the conference you'll want to attend this year. The conference theme is “New Decade Donors: The Road Ahead.” Keynote speakers will be Jay Love, President and CEO of eTapestry, and Lani Starkey, Director of Estate and Gift Planning at the University of Hawaii Foundation who will talk about trends and strategies for the decade ahead. With so many good reasons to attend, I hope you will make plans to join us for PPGC 2010! Don't delay! Visit www.practicalpgc.com and register today.

Visit Crescendo at ACGA!

2010-04-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Did you know… Our staff will be in New Orleans for the Conference on Gift Annuities presented by the American Council on Gift Annuities on April 28-30. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, we would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Tyler for a meeting. If you are attending the ACGA Conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.

Crescendo is coming to Phoenix!

2010-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Malm will be in Phoenix for the AHP Pacific and Rockies & Southwest Regional Conference on April 25-27. If you would like to learn more about eMarketing with GiftLegacy, she would be happy to set up a time to meet with you. Click here to contact Jennifer for a meeting. If you are attending the conference, be sure to stop by our Crescendo booth and say hello.