April 28, 2025 Luncheon
April 28, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Save the Date!
Shifting conversations about death and dying in the world of charitable gift planning
True success in gift planning is not about having advanced expertise in complex gift vehicles or tax
legislation; rather, it is about knowing how to communicate authentically with donors. Using new research on perspectives on death and dying in relation to gift planning conversation strategies, Dr. Picken will explore the game-changing potential of the Death Positivity movement as both a gift planner and death doula. By having more genuine conversations with donors about building a legacy, empowering them to think more deeply about their life, death, and philanthropy, takeaways of this presentation will include specific open-ended questions, marketing content examples, and inspirational lessons learned from engaging directly with what it means make a values-inspired gift.
Foundation(D231220R): Kelsey Picken (Director Legacy and Planned Giving).
Kelsey Picken, PhD, CFRE, CSPG
Acclaimed fundraiser, cultural studies academic, and recent winner of the Association of Healthcare Professionals “40 Under 40” award, Kelsey Picken, PhD, CFRE, CSPG has served over a decade of increasing responsibility and academic achievement in non-profit development. She currently serves as Director, Legacy & Gift Planning, at Children’s Medical Center Foundation in Dallas. Prior to moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, she focused on planned giving across higher education, museums, and health care sectors in Los Angeles. Concluding her studies at Claremont Graduate University, her award-winning dissertation examined the inclusion of the multitude in fundraising to break down barriers around the field of philanthropy. Most recently, she became a certified Death Doula and is a newly, self-proclaimed ceramicist, bringing together the arts and humanities for the public good. Expanding her commitment to philanthropic excellence beyond her full-time career, Picken also currently serves as a board member for the Lone Star and Dallas councils of Charitable Gift Planners, as well as the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation.