About Us

The Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council is a non-profit organization created in 2004 to facilitate, coordinate and encourage the education and training of the gift planning community and allied professionals. In order to fulfill these objectives, the HRGPC hosts virtual seminars, live programs, and other activities throughout the year.

Membership Benefits

Free licensing and usage of Leave A Legacy^®
The Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council permits usage of the local LEAVE A LEGACY trademark and logo to Hampton Roads nonprofits per an agreement with the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. LEAVE A LEGACY materials help encourage people from all walks of life and all income levels to think beyond their lifespan when doing good works. The Leave a Legacy brochure may be customized to promote planned giving to your nonprofit organization.

Virtual seminars and live programs
Why pay thousands to go to New York or D.C. when top-notch seminars and programs can come to you? Virtual seminars given by nationally-renowned experts not only provide the information you need to grow your planned giving programs but fit your busy schedule. Live programs help you understand the motivations of planned giving donors and you can network with experts and planned giving professionals.

Supporting legacy giving in Hampton Roads
You cant take it with you, according to the famous adage, but the majority of Americans are planning to do just that. That's because over half (55 percent) of all adult Americans do not have a will. And only a fraction of those that have a will make a bequest to charity. To many of your nonprofits best friends and donors, this means they have no say over issues involving their assets after they die, and they will not receive the gratification of knowing that a portion of their assets will create a legacy with their favorite nonprofit(s). The Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council supports efforts to develop personalized plans for the distribution of estate assets.

Model Standards for the Charitable Gift Planner
The council encourages responsible gift planning by urging the adoption of Standards of Practice by all individuals who work in the charitable gift planning process.

Click here for a membership application.

Our Board of Directors

President Kitty Schaum Executive Director Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation	Phillip E. Perdue Senior Development Officer Bon Secour Hampton Roads Hospital System
Vice President Tom R. Marshall, CFRE Director of Major & Planned Giving YMCA of South Hampton Roads	M. Powell Peters, Esquire Wolcott Rivers Gates
Treasurer Patrick J. Belisle Development Director Association for Research and Enlightenment	Barbara Smith Partner-in-Charge Cherry, Bekaert & Holland
Secretary Elena Berry Marketing & Events Director Hope House Foundation	Debra "Debbi" R. Steiger Regional Vice President Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Past President W. Keith Curtis President The Curtis Group	Marie Torrans Managing Director & Charitable Gift Planning Officer United Way of South Hampton Roads
Caron Crouse Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP	Russell Turner Director of Development Virginia Aquarium
Mary E. Macukas Financial Advisor UBS Financial Services, Inc.	Michael J. Walker Major Gifts Officer College of Business & Public Administration Old Dominion University
Dolly Mannix Financial Advisor Scott & Stringfellow