1. Early American charitable bequests. There are no surviving records of charitable bequests by Native Americans before 1600. We begin with the earliest bequest documents by European immigrants. That is the best available way to understand what comes later. Bequests…
Category: Newsletter
Preview America is a Given Place
For more information and to schedule the webinar: https://wp.me/pb878a-eQ More about America is a Given Place: Practical benefits from watching: https://wp.me/pb878a-gH Praise for the webinar: https://wp.me/pb878a-fs Support by the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners: https://wp.me/pb878a-gw Ron Brown’s speaker bio…

America is a Given Place Webinar
In a convenient new webinar you will learn the deepest original foundations of gift planning by seeing major events, appreciating important innovations, and re-enacting landmark national debates and resulting legislation. Learn more >

“Donation Mania” in 1786!
Founding Father Dr. Benjamin Rush was a signer of the Declaration of Independence who served under General George Washington as head of Army hospitals during the Revolution. He was a leading member of the medical staff of the Pennsylvania Hospital…

Webinar: Philadelphia’s Leadership in American Charitable Gift Planning
Presented by Ron Brown on June 18, 12:00-1:00 pm Join us for an eye-opening survey of gift planning in America, including important roles played by Philadelphia. Topics include: When did charitable bequests, trusts & annuities first appear in America? We…
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True Stories: Charitable Gift Planning from the Pilgrims to Tomorrow’s Gifts
A presentation for the Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia (March 27, 2020) Few people have heard the story of gift planning quite this way. See planned gifts by a Mayflower Pilgrim,…
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The History of ACGA is the History of Gift Planning in America
Attend the ACGA Conference in Atlanta on April 20-22 to understand the historical foundations of charitable gift planning: When did charitable trusts & annuities first appear in America? (Hint: earlier than you may realize!) What does it mean to say…
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The Year Gift Planning History Arrived
Events in the past year have left me humbled, and dedicated to nurturing a deeper awareness of our history as charitable gift planners. In 2019 I presented to gift planning groups in Chicago, Denver, Louisville, Nashville, New York, and Washington…
When did American gift planning begin?
Written records are the basic materials of historians. Unfortunately, no records of charitable giving by Native American populations before European settlement have survived, and there is little information about the people who attempted to settle in Roanoke, North Carolina in…