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The American Council on Gift Annuities has established an endowment fund to assist promising gift planners with their professional development. The Terry L. Simmons Philanthropic Endowment Fund will provide scholarships to worthy individuals who would otherwise be unable to attend the biennial ACGA conference.

On June 27, 2008 Lindsay Lapole and Frank Minton presented to Terry Simmons a plaque commemorating the establishment of an endowed philanthropic fund in Terry’s honor. Also present for the occasion were Terry’s wife Karen, his son, Adam, and his daughter, Shannon. His oldest son, Jordan, was unable to attend because of work responsibilities.

Income from the fund will be used for grants to enable young gift planners to further their professional development by attending an ACGA conference.

The inscription on the plaque reads:

TERRY L. SIMMONS
PHILANTHROPIC ENDOWMENT
To assist aspiring gift planners in their professional development.

Created by the American Council on Gift Annuities and his friends, in recognition of his leadership and outstanding contributions to the charitable community.
April, 2008

The fund was created through contributions by the ACGA and hundreds of Terry’s friends. At the time of the presentation, more than $54,000 had been contributed or pledged, and gifts were still being received.

Were it not for Terry, the ACGA would not exist today and planned giving programs throughout the United States might be greatly diminished. In 1995, a class action lawsuit had been filed against the ACGA, its directors, and all charities that had followed the maximum rates suggested by the ACGA or that had commingled funds in the investment of gift annuity reserves and charitable trust assets. Terry swung into action, creating Charitable Accord to rally support from charities, drafting legislation, and haunting the halls of Congress until it was enacted.

The result of his efforts was three federal laws: The Charitable Antitrust Relief Act of 1995, the Charitable Donation Antitrust Immunity Act of 1997, and the Philanthropy Protection Act. The first two exempted gift annuities from antitrust law, enabling charities to follow common rates, and the third exempted the commingled funds from securities regulation. Since all of the laws were retroactive, the pending class action lawsuit was dismissed.

Terry also secured passage of a statute in Texas exempting gift annuities from the normal regulation applicable to insurance companies. That statute evolved into the model exemption act, which has now been adopted by numerous states, relieving charities of burdensome compliance requirements in those states.

Terry, his wife Karen and two of his three children, Shannon and Adam, share a moment with Frank Minton and Lindsay Lapole.

If Terry had done nothing else, these legislative achievements would have been a tremendous legacy. However, he has done much more, including serving as conference chair and president of NCPG (now the National association of Charitable Gift Planners), being a founder of Charitable Gift Planning News, serving on the ACGA board, writing numerous articles on gift planning, and being a very popular speaker. His annual updates on legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments at NCPG and ACGA conferences were eagerly awaited.

At the peak of his career, having just been selected as one of the country’s top lawyers, Terry was struck by a car while crossing a street in Dallas. The injury has severely impaired his physical mobility and left him in almost constant pain. He was mostly confined to his home and had to give up his law practice. Yet, he continued to keep abreast of professional and political developments and offer wise counsel as a participant in teleconference meetings.

I was with great shock and sadness that the ACGA learned of Terry's untimely passing April 3, 2017. Additional accomplishments Terry achieved during his short life are included in his obituary below.

We invite you and/or your organization to join the legions that value and are grateful for Terry's life and what he accomplished for all charitable and non-profits in the United States. Join us by making a contribution to the Terry L. Simmons Endowed Scholarship Fund as we attempt t raise the current endowment fund to a minimum of $150,000.

If you or your organization is interested in supporting this endeavor, click here. We are grateful to those who have already made generous gifts.

Past Scholarship Recipients

2018

At the ACGA’s 2018 Conference in Seattle, The Terry Simmons Scholarship Fund will make grants to 5 gift planners so that they were able to attend the conference. The 2018 Scholarship recipients are:

• Sophie Davidson
  Planned Giving Associate
  International Rescue Committee
  New York, NY
• Shelley De Leon
  Manager, Gift Planning
  Los Angeles Philharmonic
  Los Angeles, CA
• Sara Golden
  Direct Response Manager
  Amnesty International USA
  Washington, DC
• Yolanda Rahman
  Nation Director, Legacy Giving
  Muscular Dystrophy Association
  Chicago, IL
• Geoffrey VanderWoude
  Director of Planned Giving
  SUNY Canton
  Canton, NY

2016

At the ACGA’s 2016 Conference in St. Louis, The Terry Simmons Scholarship Fund made grants to 4 gift planners so that they were able to attend the conference. The 2016 Scholarship recipients are:

• Matthew Hilgendorf
  CARE USA
  Development Coordinator, Office of Planned Giving
  Atlanta, GA
• Laura Sidla
  Partners In Health
  Planned Giving Associate
  Boston, MA
• Katy Sparks
  Montana State University Alumni Foundation
  Director of Estate, Trust, and Gift Planning
  Bozeman, MT
• Julie Wilkinson
  Illinois College
  Director of Development- Major & Planned Gifts
  Jacksonville, IL

2014

At the ACGA’s 2014 Conference in Baltimore, The Terry Simmons Scholarship Fund made grants to 3 gift planners so that they were able to attend the conference. The 2014 Scholarship recipients are:

• Michelle Cline
  Capital University
  Director of Planned Giving
  Columbus, Ohio
• Cynthia Oliver
  Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh
  Director of Advancement
  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Patricia Roberts
  St. Anthony Foundation
  Development Director
  Carroll, Iowa

2012

At the ACGA’s 2012 Conference in San Francisco, The Terry Simmons Scholarship Fund made grants to 4 gift planners so that they were able to attend the conference. The 2012 Scholarship recipients are:

• Lisa Bennett
• Larry Croman
• Diane Thornton
• Susan Zellner

2010

At the ACGA’s 2010 Conference in New Orleans, The Terry Simmons Scholarship Fund made grants to 8 gift planners so that they were able to attend the conference. The 2010 Scholarship recipients are:

• Robert Barr
• Chad Clark
• Margaret Hotchkiss
• Jennifer Jennings-Davis
• Erin Kathleen Jones
• Stacey Loomis
• Trina L. Planchon
• Bonalynn Wallach