For decades, charities have viewed philanthropy through distinct fundraising "lanes": annual giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, and planned giving; each with its own strategies, teams, and donor conversations. But around the world, that model is beginning to change.
Leading organizations in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and North America are embracing a more integrated approach to philanthropy, recognizing that donors do not think in fundraising categories. They have one relationship with an organization and want to express their generosity in multiple ways throughout their lifetime. Increasingly, a donor may make annual gifts, invest in a campaign, establish an endowment, support a major project, and include the organization in their estate; not as a sequence of gifts over decades, but as part of one intentional philanthropic journey.
One of the most significant international trends is the evolution of legacy giving itself. Rather than viewing a legacy commitment as the final chapter in a donor relationship, leading charities are treating it as the beginning of a deeper conversation. Once a donor has demonstrated extraordinary trust by making a legacy commitment, organizations are asking a new question: How can we help this donor experience the impact of their philanthropy during their lifetime? This "give while you live" philosophy is reshaping stewardship, campaign strategy, and donor engagement, creating opportunities for legacy donors to become some of an organization's most significant current philanthropists.
Drawing on campaign experience across Canada and internationally, including work with organizations throughout Europe, this session explores the strategic implications of these emerging trends. Participants will examine how legacy giving is becoming increasingly integrated into major gifts and campaigns, why stewardship is replacing solicitation as the catalyst for transformational giving, and what Canadian organizations can learn from the world's leading fundraising programs.
Rather than focusing on gift vehicles, tax strategies, or legal structures, this session looks ahead to the future of philanthropy and asks an important question:
What if we've been thinking about legacy giving backwards?
Speakers
Vincent Duckworth, BSc, CFRE is President and CEO of ViTreo Group Inc., one of Canada's leading fundraising consulting firms. With more than three decades of experience, Vincent has advised universities, healthcare organizations, environmental organizations, faith-based institutions, and charities across Canada and internationally on major gift fundraising, capital campaigns, campaign readiness, governance, and donor strategy. As an international speaker and educator, he brings a broad perspective from campaign work across North America, Europe, and Asia, including recent experience supporting global fundraising initiatives with Greenpeace International, the World Food Program, and Jane Goodall Global.
Holli Bjerland, MAL, CFRE is a senior fundraising and executive leader with more than twenty years of experience advancing philanthropy across healthcare, higher education, and community-based organizations. Most recently, she served as Vice President, External Relations and Chief Development Officer for the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, where she led an integrated portfolio encompassing fundraising, marketing and communications, government relations, and brand management, including major gifts, planned giving, corporate partnerships, and community fundraising. Throughout her career with organizations including the University of Alberta, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, and Edmonton Public Library, Holli has helped build high-performing fundraising programs while working closely with donors, volunteer leaders, and executive teams to advance transformational philanthropic outcomes.
Together, Vincent and Holli bring complementary perspectives from campaign strategy, major gifts, executive leadership, and legacy giving. Combining international campaign experience with deep operational expertise in integrated fundraising programs, they will explore how the relationship between major gifts, campaigns, and legacy giving is changing, and what that means for the future of philanthropy.
| Member | $ 10.00 + $ 0.00 Tax |
| Non-Member | $ 15.00 + $ 0.00 Tax |