Greetings ACGA members and potential members.  I write this on the day after everyone’s favorite meteorological rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, arose to find a cloudy morning with no shadow to be seen and proclaimed, “An early spring is on the way!”  

By the time we gather in Houston for the 36^th ACGA Conference on April 29, we will be greeted by 80° temperatures!

Houston, we have a...

…Conference on the way!!  The Hyatt Regency Houston will serve as the site for the 36^th ACGA Conference.  This conference is designed to provide a more focused experience for attendees.  

We are introducing a new format, which will allow participants to take a deeper dive into the topics presented.  For each breakout session, the first 75 minutes will be a traditional presentation.  We will then take a 30-minute break, after which participants will return for an interactive workshop on the topics presented in the initial presentation.  We are excited by this new format and look forward to a meaningful learning experience for all.  

Our dynamic opening keynote speaker, Dr. Raj Ramachandran, Senior Partner- Leadership Advisory at WittKieffer, will speak on the topic of Under the Microscope: Understanding Your Leadership Lens.  This will not be your typical, dry keynote address. 

We will welcome to the conference 8 recipients of the Terry Simmons Scholarship, an ACGA-endowed fund.

This conference would not happen without the dedicated work of Cathy Sheffield, ACGA’s VP for Programs and her committee, Alex Brovey, Jamie Holzer White, Pam Leonard, Rochelle Makela Goodman, Jeremy Stelter, Corliss Taylor, and Mike Welling.  

Click here for registration information.  Hope to see you in H-town!

ACGA's Prime Directive

Perhaps the primary responsibility of the ACGA is the promulgation of actuarially sound maximum suggested charitable gift annuity payout rates, which provide an income to annuitants and a gift to issuing charities.  The announcement of new rates effective on January 1, 2024 marks the third time in the past two years that the ACGA Board of Directors has upwardly modified its suggested maximum rates. 

The ACGA monitors the factors that go into its suggested maximum rates on a daily basis, and it utilizes an actuary to ensure that the suggested maximum rates are sound and compatible with the current economy. 

Related to this work is the ACGA’s monitoring of state regulations related to charitable gift annuities.  On October 25, 2023, NY Governor Kathy Hocul signed New York Bill A4599a into law, which became effective on January 23, 2024.  This resulted from several years of work by the ACGA and codified changes in the New York regulatory code so that New York charities can continue to rely on ACGA rates.  In late January 2024, the New York Department of Financial Services confirmed that ACGA rates are acceptable for New York donors and charities to follow.

All this work is conducted by ACGA’s Rates and Regulations Committee which is ably chaired by ACGA VP Dave Ely.  Other members of this dedicated committee are Ed Cable, Bob Coffman, Kristen Jaarda, Larry Katzenstein, Shane Leib (ACGA’s Actuary), Dave Libengood, Rebecca Locke, Chris Long, Edie Matulka, Kevin McGowan, Frank Minton, Phil Purcell, Cathy Sheffield, Melissa Sylvester, and Bryan Taylor. 

Comings and Goings

New ACGA Board Members are:

• Pamela Leonard, National Executive Lead, Program Advancement Charitable Estate Planning, American Heart Association
• Carl Wayne, Executive Director Gift Planning, UC Berkeley

Departing ACGA Board Members are:

• Paul Putnam, CEO of TREE Fund
• Crystal Thompkins, TrueCrystal Consulting, LLC

We are grateful for the service of our retiring Board members, and we look forward to the contributions of our new Board members.

Joe