HONOREE HONORS OTHERS: ConferenceDirect President and CEO and PCMA Professional Achievement Supplier Partner Honoree Brian Stevens gave a shout-out to longtime Hilton employees during his speech at the Foundation Dinner in April. Read aboutwhat he had to say at http://bit.ly/qpFZJ9.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
PCMA’s new Planned Giving program will allow donors to leave a lasting legacy for both the Education Foundation and the next generation of meeting professionals.
P
CMA RECENTLY LAUNCHED ITS NEW PLANNED Giving program—a high-impact way for individ- uals tomake amajor financial gift during their life-
time that will support the PCMA Education Foundation after they have passed away. The Education Foundationwas created in 1985 to sup-
port themission of PCMAthrough scholarships, research, education, and community outreach. Notable projects funded by the Foundation include a study on the future of conventions and trade shows, and research onwhat Gen Y expects fromitsmeetings and events. But themost important part of the Foundation’swork
is its scholarship program. This year, 21 scholarships will be awarded—including both tuition and event scholar- ships, to help facilitate attendance at PCMAevents like the Education Conference and Convening Leaders—for a total of $47,000. Still, the need formore funding is readily apparent:This past spring, the Foundation received 70 eli- gible applications for just 12 available scholarships. Of course,many PCMA members already support the Edu- cation Foundation through theAnnual Giv- ing Campaign, or by attending PartyWith a Purpose at Convening Leaders or the annual Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement.The Planned Giving program is different. Not only does Planned Giving
allow you tomake a larger gift than you might be able tomake on your own, it also can result in tax benefits today. According to Brad Lewis, executive director of the Education
Foundation, as well as PCMA’s head of education, the program’s genesis came a fewyears agowhen the Foundation received an unexpected legacy gift of $13,000 froma longtimemember who hadpassedaway.“It really just gota conversationgoing,”Lewis said, “abouthowthereprobably arepeoplewhogrewupinour industry, the industrywas good to them,who lived their life in and through the industry,with PCMA as an important part, andwhomaywant to remember PCMA and support [its] efforts going forward.” Last January, PCMA convened a focus group at 2011 Con-
vening Leaders in Las Vegas to explore the possibility of creat- ing a planned-giving program. ConferenceDirect President and
GREAT START: ConferenceDirect President and CEO Brian Stevens
jumpstarted the Education Foundation’s newPlanned Giving program with a $100,000 bequest.
CEO Brian Stevenswas one of those in attendance—and a few days after themeeting, hemade it known that he would like to be the first to give.Stevenswas as good as hisword.At this year’s PCMA Education Foundation Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement inApril inWashington,D.C.,where Stevenswas the Supplier Partner Honoree, he announced that he wouldmake a planned gift of $100,000 to the Education Foundation. “Almamaters get a lot of donations,” Stevens told Convene,
explaining the reasoning behind his decision. “And I consider PCMA as important as a university or a college to my profes- sion and tomywell-being.”He continued:“Fast-forward 30 years fromnow, [and] Iwill either be,well, dead or retired.Who’s going to be the next Brian Stevens,andwhere are they going to get their education,where are they going to learn best practices? Hope- fully PCMA will be one of the places. “There’s probably somebody sitting in high school right now
thatwill benefit fromthe PCMAFoundation in 20 years.They don’t know it yet, and we don’t know them yet, but it’s going to hap- pen. It’s the circle of life.” For questions about the Planned Giving program, or tomake
a legacy donation of your own, email foundation@pcma.org, or reach out personally to Brad Lewis at (312) 423-7252.