May is Leave a Legacy Month—a national movement encouraging Canadians to think about the impact they want to leave behind. But what does that actually mean for you—or your organization? If you’ve ever thought:
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“Planned giving sounds complicated…”
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“That’s not for organizations like ours…”
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“I wouldn’t even know where to begin…”
You’re not alone.
This workshop is designed to change that. Join Pillar Nonprofit Network and Global Philanthropic Canada for a welcoming, easy-to-understand introduction to planned giving—designed for anyone connected to a cause.
In this session, you’ll learn:
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What planned giving actually means (in plain language)
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Why more people are choosing to leave legacy gifts
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How even small organizations can start
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How to use Leave a Legacy Month as a springboard
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One simple step you can take right away
No technical knowledge required. No fundraising experience needed. Just curiosity—and a desire to make a lasting impact.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Jill Nelson,BA (Hons), MFA-P, CFRE
Joining Global in 2025, Jill has 30+ years in fundraising at a variety of organizations and brings strong professional skills in strategic gift planning, legacy marketing strategy and implementation, estate administration, donor stewardship, management, volunteer leadership and relationship building.
She believes in demystifying gift planning within organizations to collaboratively design and develop integrated gift planning programs to lift all revenue streams. She coaches Boards and staff on the power of integrated gift planning efforts, how to raise the topic and have comfortable conversations with donors, the power of gift planning vehicles, how to identify prospects and systems and processes to manage the work. Legacy stewardship is close to her heart.
For the past 18 years she served as Associate Vice President, Estates and Gift Planning at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Prior to that she was the Director of Planned Giving at the Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario) for 5 years, and Director of Development for the Canadian Paraplegic Association (Ontario) for 10 years.
Melanie C. Riley, CFRE
Vice President, Fund Development & Member Services, Pillar Nonprofit Network
Melanie has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, supporting organizations of all sizes to strengthen their fundraising, community engagement, and leadership capacity.
