Necessary, But Not Necessarily Fun

Reviewing Your Gift Acceptance Policies and Procedures

Join us to discuss the nitpicky details that keep your program running smoothly, satisfy your business office, make your organization’s legal team happy, help your fundraisers understand what they can offer donors, and most importantly keep your donors happy.    We’ll be discussing frequency, who to invite to the conversation, the elements to consider, when you may want to change your policies, and all the nuts and bolts of this critical part of your gift planning program. 

Presenters:

• Jon Abrams, Director, Gift Planning for the Central Atlantic and Northeast Divisions, American Red Cross
• Melissa M. Copher, Gift Planning Director, American Red Cross
• Rebecca Locke, Executive Director, Gift Planning, American Red Cross

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 Speakers

Jon Abrams
Director, Gift Planning for the Central Atlantic and Northeast Divisions
American Red Cross

Jon Abrams serves as Director, Gift Planning for the Central Atlantic and Northeast Divisions for the American Red Cross. He coaches and supports a team of gift planning officers in raising planned gifts to support the Red Cross’ humanitarian mission. Jon joined the Red Cross in 2007. Prior to his current appointment, Jon held executive fundraising positions at educational and health institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Brown University and Joslin Diabetes Center. He also held positions at Smith Barney as a financial advisor and at Fidelity Charitable as director of product development.

Jon received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a law degree from Quinnipiac University. He is a current member, past board member and past president (1992) of the Planned Giving Group of New England and of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, serving as Chair in 2021.

Melissa M. Copher
Gift Planning Director
American Red Cross

Melissa M. Copher has been with the American Red Cross Gift Planning Department since 1999.  She is a Director, overseeing the life income gift program at the Red Cross.  She previously worked at the Indiana University Foundation as an Assistant Director of Gift Planning.  She graduated from Miami University, Oxford, OH in 1991 and Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, in 1994.  She lives in Indianapolis, IN with her husband and three sons.

Rebecca Locke
Executive Director, Gift Planning
American Red Cross

Rebecca L. Locke is the Executive Director, Gift Planning for the American Red Cross, a role she assumed in late 1999. With more than 40 Gift Planning team members, the Gift Planning unit leads all planned gift work for the American Red Cross working with donors interested in bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, gifts of property, and other complex assets. Previously Rebecca had served as the Regional Development Manager, Southeast Region as one of the first two R.D.M.’s in the new Chapter Advancement Unit formed at Red Cross National Headquarters in 1996. In that role, she established the first American Red Cross field-based Gift Planning program in Florida, and directed the organization’s first three Gift Planning Officers in that state.

Prior to joining the NHQ Development team, Rebecca had served in chapters for more than fifteen years with roles in annual giving, major gifts, disaster fund raising, direct mail, and planned giving. She served in the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter for four years as the Director of Annual Giving. She began her career with the Red Cross as a youth volunteer, and served in multiple positions including Assistant Chapter Manager with the Mid-South Chapter in Memphis, TN. Outside the Red Cross, Rebecca served as the Executive Director of a health-related nonprofit, and in the profit world with a data management firm. She served as President of the Board of the American Council on Gift Annuities, chaired ACGA’s 2014 Conference on Planned Giving, and currently serves as Immediate Past President. Rebecca is a graduate of the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William & Mary as well as Tennessee Technological University.